Whether its Candy Crush, Tetris, Angry Birds, or Fruit Ninja, who doesn’t love spending some time playing an addictive mobile game on their phone?

While many people think that these games can keep you sharp and help prevent mental decline, researchers say that the conclusion is inconclusive. A new study, however, from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom found that these games can detect cognitive ability and foresee potential warning signs.

The study took 21 healthy people and, after giving them written tests to determine their cognitive ability, provided them with mobile phones to play Candy Crush, Tetris, and Fruit Ninja.

Sensors were placed in these phones so they could detect the participants’ taps, swipes, and rotational gestures. They used this data to determine the subjects’ ability to perform tasks, memory, attention span, and mental flexibility.

After analyzing the data, researchers concluded that popular mobile games like the ones used in the study can be an effective measure of brain function, and they can also spot changes in motor abilities that are commonly associated with brain disorders like dementia (including Alzheimer’s), stroke, and traumatic brain injury. The latter can be used with athletes who are prone to head injuries, such as football players and boxers

“We are very encouraged by the results of our study and have since collected data from patients who showed signs of brain damage. This additional analysis reinforced the conclusions of our original research,” said Dr. Jim Ang, a collaborator from Kent’s School of Engineering and Digital Arts. “We’re now working to design an algorithm which can carry out automatic monitoring of individuals’ cognitive performance while playing these games.”