Googling is good for you!
Posted in All posts, In the news
Bob Holmes
Or so it seems from some research presented at a conference on neuroscience in the United States recently. Scientists studied a group of people between 55 and 78, who had a mix of experience in using the Internet. Using brain scans, they showed that brain activity was increased by carrying out Internet searches.
One of the authors of the study, Dr Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, said “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.”
The researchers suggest that Internet searches may be more stimulating to the brain than activities such as reading because it requires doing several things at once; holding information in memory while assessing information on screen and selecting what is needed from text and graphics.
They also found that while brain activation is greatest at first in those who are regular Internet users, people who have never used the Internet before soon experience similar benefits.
There is a write-up of the work http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167958.php" href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167958.php">here, and it was also in some of the UK newspapers, notably http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6879663.ece" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6879663.ece">The Sunday Times.
Thanks to a gentleman called Terry Paget who first drew this to my attention.
October 29th, 2009 bobholmes | No Comments »
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