London, May 25 (IANS): Watching 3D movies is beneficial for enhancing and boosting brain power, new research says.

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.