Internet surfing boosts mid-age, elders brain function, says study

LOS ANGELES: Scientists at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), have found that web surfing for middle-aged and seniors with little Internet experience have boosted their brain function. “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 study author Gary Small, professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

Small and his team selected 24 volunteers between the ages of 55 and 78. Half of the participants had Internet experience, while the other half had very little experience.

After Internet training, participants with minimal online experience displayed brain activation patterns very similar to those seen in the group of experienced Internet users after just a short period of time.

“The results suggest that searching online may be a simple form of brain exercise that might be employed to enhance cognition in older adults,” said Teena Moody, the study’s first author and a senior research associate at UCLA.

According to Moody, when performing an Internet search, the ability to hold important information in working memory and to extract the important points from competing graphics and words is essential.

Small said the new findings suggest that it may take only days for those with minimal experience to match the activity levels of those with years of experience.

The findings were presented on Tuesday at the 2009 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. –Xinhua