New York: A study has found that moderate and consistent Internet use can improve cognitive performance in older adults.
Research published in the August edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that heavy Internet use in old age is linked to delayed brain deterioration.
In a study conducted at New York University’s School of Global Public Health, researchers followed people between the ages of 50 and 65 for a little over 17 years. The people involved in the study did not suffer from dementia.
The researchers used the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study, which included data on nearly 20,000 older Americans, for the study.
The research paper states that between 2002 and 2018, the coordinators of the Michigan study surveyed participants every two years to determine their regular use of the Internet and, if so, the duration of use. .
65 percent of the respondents said that they use the Internet regularly, while 21 percent reported a clear change in their Internet usage habits during the study. Death occurred or they developed dementia.
Research has shown that regular internet users have half the risk of dementia compared to non-users.
According to the research, active Internet users among the participants had a 1.54 percent risk of developing dementia, while non-Internet users had a 10.45 percent risk of developing dementia.
The authors of the study said that more research is needed to look at the potential negative consequences of excessive Internet use.
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