The guardian reports that recently scientists build a new lab where Pac Man is the Hero :

In fact, the scientist create a version of Pac Man in which you can receive electric shock to the hand. This experience is made to study the brain reactions to an iniment danger.

The players need to escape virtual monsters in a close environement. Everytime they get caught by a monster they receive a small electric shock.

The study has been done at the Wellcome Trust centre for neuroimaging at University College London. The report told us that the threat did not activate the prefontal cortex region of the brain which is for complex planning tasks.

But as soon as the virtual predator gets closer, the most primitive part of the brain is activated. This is the periaqueductal gray which is responsible for quick-response survival mechanisms. (fight, flight, freeze reaction)

Deam Mobbs, who leads this study, conclude that the closest the threat is the fatest our primitiv mecanism respond. For him, it gives us less freedom.

Chris Frith, co-autor of the article, said that these observations will help them to understand better related anxiety trouble disorder.

Thanks who ? Thanks to Pac Man ! Now we can understand better what is happening to this gamer :