Internet use can boost the brain activity of the elderly, potentially slowing or even reversing the age-related declines that can end in dementia. Using brain scans, researchers found the internet stimulated the mind more strongly than reading, and the effects continued long after an internet session had ended.
“We found that for older people with minimal experience, performing internet searches for even a relatively short period of time can change brain activity patterns and enhance function,” said Gary Small, professor of neuroscience and human behaviour at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Small and his colleagues found the impacts began immediately, with the first scan demonstrating brain activity in regions controlling language, reading, memory and vision.
The researchers suggest internet searching stimulates brain cells and pathways more than reading, making them more active, because people need to perform several tasks at once.
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Tags: Internet