"They're melting your brain". "They're ruining your eyes". "They're turning you into a violent person".

The criticisms levelled against video gaming are so common, so ubiquitous, that some can border on clichés. But are these worries founded in actual science?

A new study suggests some concerns may be.

The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Montreal, revealed that playing "shooter" games can damage the hippocampus area of the brain, causing it to lose cells.

It suggests that this could weaken the brains of young people and put them at greater risk of dementia in later life, but before you put your Xbox on eBay, it's worth noting that scientists have cautioned against drawing firm conclusions from this study alone because it's based on a small sample size.

So how do we know who to trust? Countless studies have offered conflicting conclusions on how detrimental video gaming is to your health – both mental and physical - and it can be difficult to get a sense of the harm or good caused by video games.

We've rounded up the most notable reports and studies below, so you can weigh up the evidence for yourself.

FOR: Video games make your brain grow