Internet Searches Prevent Alzheimer's?

Some ways of exercising one’s brain are more fun than others. A 2008 study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry “looked at the brain activity of 24 neurologically normal volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76 as they searched the Internet. Half of the participants had experience surfing the Web, while the others did not.”

Researchers used fMRI scans to track subjects’ brain activity while reading books and doing Internet searches. All of them showed significant brain activity during the book reading, but “Internet searches revealed differences between the two groups. While all the participants showed the same activity as during the book-reading, the Web-savvy group also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, whereas those new to the net did not. (These areas of the brain control decision-making and complex reasoning.)”

Feeling smarter? You should.

More “Use It Or Lose It”

A 2003 study in the New England Journal Of Medicine found that “among leisure activities, reading, playing board games, playing musical instruments, and dancing were associated with a reduced risk of dementia.” Dancing is not only a “leisure activity” but one of the most enjoyable kinds of exercise, and exercise has also been found to prevent Alzheimer’s.

If you’d like to see other posts about brain fitness:

Avoid Alzheimer’s With Brain Games

Playing Strategy Games Keeps Elders Sharp

Avoid Alzheimer’s With A Fit Brain