SOME of the common activities thought to help keep the brain active include board games of strategy like chess, those with more of a chance element like mahjong, and word games like crossword puzzles. It appears we can now add web surfing to the list, according to new research by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
"The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults," said lead investigator Dr Small who is Professor, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.
The researchers said that, compared to simple reading, using the internet with its rich information resources required people to make decisions about what to click on in order to get the desired information.
Additional details on the study and further research on the impact of computer technologies on the aging brain are highlighted in Dr Small's new book, iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind.
Benefit increases with greater internet usage
As mentioned in an earlier story, the more experienced internet users produced greater neuron activity in the centres of the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning.
This is probably because newcomers to the web have not yet grasped the strategies needed to successfully carry out a web search or otherwise use the internet efficiently. But that should change as users became more internet proficient.
Professor Small said: "A simple, everyday task like searching the web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older."
Use it or lose it!
Noting that internet usage is a mentally stimulating activity, chief executive Rebecca Wood of Alzheimer's Research Trust in the UK noted: "These fascinating findings add to previous research suggesting that middle-aged and older people can reduce their risk of dementia by taking part in regular mentally stimulating activities. Older web users or 'silver surfers' are doing precisely this."
Dr Susanne Sorensen who is head of research at the Alzheimer's Society remarked that this may well be a positive message to keep people mentally active, drawing attention to the oft-mentioned adage of "use it or lose it".
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