Several parents have recently inquired about the effect videogames have on the development of a child's brain – and how much time they should allow their children to play videogames.

The simple answer is that although all childhood thought and behavior affect brain maturation at some level, no one really knows the long-term effects of something as specific as playing videogames. Current brain-imaging technology can't measure the effects of extensive videogame activity on the normal maturation of a brain. Richard Haier (1992) observed the activity of various brain systems during mastery of the computer game Tetris, and last month's column reported on research that involved brain activity during meditation and prayer. Such research, however, doesn't determine if videogames, meditation, and prayer per se enhance or diminish a brain's maturation. Rather, it merely depicts what occurs within our brain during the activity.