(RALEIGH)--Researchers at North Carolina State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study whether and how video games can boost memory and thinking skills in the elderly.

Researchers will then then to use their findings to develop a prototype video game to do just that.

The researchers will use the grant money, which is part of the federal stimulus package, to fund a two-phase research initiative. In phase one, researchers will ascertain whether certain qualities that can be found in video games result in improved cognitive functioning in older adults. Cognitive functioning refers to memory, problem-solving, critical thinking and other mental skills.