MS is a disease of the central nervous system that results in damage to the protective covering of nerve fibres. Symptoms include weakness, muscle stiffness and difficulty thinking - a phenomenon often referred to as "brain fog."
According to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, MS affects an estimated 2.5 million people worldwide, researchers said.
Damage to the thalamus, a structure in the middle of the brain that acts as a kind of information hub, and its connections with other parts of the brain play an important role in the cognitive dysfunction many MS patients experience.
Twenty-four MS patients with cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to either take part in an eight-week, home-based rehabilitation programme - consisting of 30-minute gaming sessions, five days per week - or be put on a wait list, serving as the control group.
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Patients were evaluated by cognitive tests and by 3-Tesla resting state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) at baseline and after the eight-week period.
"Functional MRI allows you to study which brain areas are simultaneously active and gives information on the participation of certain areas with specific brain circuits," De Giglio said.
The results provide an example of the brain's plasticity, or ability to form new connections throughout life.
"This increased connectivity reflects the fact that video gaming experience changed the mode of operation of certain brain structures," De Giglio said.
"This means that even a widespread and common use tool like video games can promote brain plasticity and can aid in cognitive rehabilitation for people with neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis," she said.
The results suggest that video-game-based brain training is an effective option to improve cognitive abilities of patients with MS, researchers said.
The study was published in the journal Radiology.