Video games are not just a source of entertainment: they can also be a means of improving cognitive skills, according to research from Canada’s Western University in collaboration with Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.

The findings suggest that playing video games can have a positive impact on cognition, albeit not necessarily on mental health.

The Brain and Body Study involved over 2,000 participants from all over the world, who were asked to fill out a lifestyle questionnaire and then play online games designed to measure different aspects of cognition, such as memory, attention, reasoning and verbal skills.

According to the findings, people who play video games frequently (five or more hours per week for a single type of game) appeared to possess cognitive abilities equivalent to those 13.7 years younger.

Meanwhile, those who play under five hours per week across all kinds of games have cognitive abilities equivalent to those of people 5.2 years younger.

“Playing video games is thus associated with improved cognitive abilities but not better or worse mental health, whereas more physical activity was associated with improved mental health but not better or worse cognitive health,” the study outlined.

The findings appear to run contrary to another recent study indicating that just 15 minutes of gaming could improve players’ mood.

Indeed, this Canadian research also examined the impact of exercise on mental health. Participants who met or exceeded the World Health Organization recommendations of 150 minutes of physical activity a week were 12% more likely to have no symptoms of depression, and 9% more likely to have no symptoms of anxiety.

Several studies have already demonstrated the potential benefits of video games; and while the health of younger people is often the subject of concern, over-45s account for the greatest share of US video gamers, according to separate research.