Young adult men who are regularly exposed to television violence are more likely to have an irregular attention and brain structure, according to a recent study.

Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine found that men who watched more violence on television showed indications of less mature brain development and poorer executive functioning -- the broad ability to formulate plans, make decisions, reason and problem-solve, regulate attention, and inhibit behavior in order to achieve goals.

"We found that the more violent TV viewing a participant reported, the worse they performed on tasks of attention and cognitive control," Tom Hummer, lead author of the study and assistant research professor, said in a statement. "On the other hand, the overall amount of TV watched was not related to performance on any executive function tests."

For the study, researchers used psychological testing and MRI scans to measure mental abilities and volume of brain regions in 65 healthy males with normal IQ between the age of 18 and 29. They provided estimates of their television viewing over the past year and then kept a detailed diary of their TV viewing for a week. Participants also completed a series of psychological tests measuring inhibitory control, attention and memory. At the conclusion, MRI scans were used to measure brain structure.

Comparing TV habits to brain images also produced results that Hummer and colleagues believe are significant.

"When we looked at the brain scans of young men with higher violent television exposure, there was less volume of white matter connecting the frontal and parietal lobes, which can be a sign of less maturity in brain development," Hummer said.

White matter is tissue in the brain that insulates nerve fibers connecting different brain regions, making functioning more efficient.

"The take-home message from this study is the finding of a relationship between how much violent television we watch and important aspects of brain functioning like controlled attention and inhibition," Hummer said.

Hummer said additional longitudinal work is necessary to resolve whether individuals with poor executive function and slower white matter growth are more drawn to violent programming or if exposure to media violence modifies development of cognitive control.