According to British researchers, watching 3D films helps improve cognitive abilities.
The team led by neuroscientist Patrick Fagan from Goldsmiths University found a 23 percent increase in cognitive processing ability among participants after watching a 3D movie.
The subjects' reaction times were improved by 11 percent and they experienced a "brain boost" for up to 20 minutes after viewing a 3D film, The Guardian reported.
Along with professor Brendan Walker of Thrill Laboratory, a London-based company dedicated to new forms of thrilling experience, they found that the improvement in reaction time was five times that experienced by participants, who had been watching a 2D movie.
"Surgeons, boxers and tennis players may benefit from watching films in stereoscope before taking on challenging tasks," the authors noted.
There has been a noticeable decline in cognitive brain function in old age, which can impair future quality of life.
"The initial results indicate that 3D films may potentially play a role in slowing this decline," Fagan was quoted as saying.
For the study, cognitive brain tests and brain-monitoring headsets were used to analyse moviegoers at the Vue cinemas in Piccadilly, London.
The researchers also found that 3D experience provided more immersion for viewers than 2D.