Scientists have conducted a study to investigate the relationship between internet use and the development of dementia, and have made some unexpected findings. The study, conducted by specialists from the NYU School of Global Public Health, aimed to fill a gap in scientific data on the long-term impact of the internet on cognitive functions in the elderly.
The study analyzed data from a survey conducted by the University of Michigan on the health of adults aged 50 to 65 without dementia. The survey, conducted between 2002 and 2018, revealed that 65% of respondents regularly use the internet.
The results of the study showed that active internet users had a 1.54% risk of developing dementia, whereas those who did not use the internet had a risk of 10.45%. However, it should be noted that excessive use of the internet (more than two hours per day) was also associated with an increased risk of dementia.
Gawon Cho from NYU commented on the results, stating that “regular internet use among older people is associated with a lower risk of dementia compared to those who rarely go online. However, excessive daily use can have a negative impact on the risk of dementia.”
Claire Sexton from the Association for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease pointed out that there are multiple factors that could affect these results. She suggests that “regular internet use might stimulate cognitive functions, reducing the risk of dementia, or perhaps individuals with a lower risk of dementia are more likely to use the internet frequently.”
Further studies are needed to gain a deeper understanding of this connection. However, the current data suggests that moderate internet use may not be detrimental to the aging brain.