The older you get, the more common it is to have “senior moments.” You might forget the name of the neighbor you recently met for the first time or where you placed your keys earlier in the day.
For many people, these moments of forgetfulness often cause concern that something more serious might be happening—like the start of Alzheimer’s disease. Quite possibly the most dreaded age-related disease, Alzheimer’s affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.1 Moreover, researchers have still not even gotten close to identifying effective long-term treatments or cures for this disease, which is part of the reason so much research focuses on prevention.
A good body of research has already found that exercise can be beneficial in preventing cognitive decline or the start of dementia.2-4 In the same vein, one would assume that, since exercise can help prevent cognitive decline, sedentary behavior (activities that do not increase energy expenditure above the resting level) could increase the risk of dementias. But, surprisingly, little research exists in this realm.
So researchers in France aimed to assess whether common sedentary behaviors—in particular, TV watching, computer use and reading—could increase the risk of cognitive decline in healthy older adults.5
The study population was a group of 6,850 adults who participated in a post-supplementation observational study between 2007-2009. Among these people, sufficient cognitive data was collected and testing was done on 1,425 men and 1,154 women in their mid-60s.
Using questionnaires to assess sedentary behaviors and physical activity, participants answered a wide variety of questions, including their daily average time spent watching TV, using a computer and reading. Some of the variables researchers took into account included gender, education, retirement status, self-rated health status, weight and incidence of certain conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Yes Computers, No TV
After analyzing the data and making adjustments based on the variables listed above, researchers came to some conclusions that you may find surprising.
Specifically, they found that more time spent using the computer was associated with better verbal memory and better executive functioning (the mental processes that help connect past experience with present action). On the other hand, TV watching was negatively associated with verbal memory and executive functioning.
As for reading, researchers found that it was not associated with a decline in verbal memory, and the decline they saw in executive functioning did not remain statistically significant.
At the six-year follow-up, researchers found that an increase in time spent using the computer continued to yield improved verbal memory and executive functioning.
Why Computers?
The finding that TV watching can be detrimental to cognitive health is well known, as past research has linked television to Alzheimer’s. In one study, the researchers found that people who ended up developing Alzheimer’s were less likely to have had intellectual hobbies when younger and were more likely to have had engaged in passive activities that didn’t stimulate their brains—like watching TV.6 Furthermore, watching a lot of TV tends to reduce the frequency with which people exercise and, as stated earlier, exercise is an Alzheimer’s preventer.
Given that reading can be mentally stimulating in many ways, that result is not too shocking.
However, the finding that computer use can improve cognitive function may be quite surprising to some since surfing the Web or playing computer games can, in many ways, be viewed as mindless activities.
But that’s not necessarily the case. Using the computer can actually have a stimulating effect on the brain, which keeps it active and engaged. The researchers speculated, “The mentally stimulating characteristics of some sedentary behaviors, such as computer use, may compensate for their relatively passive nature… The underlying mechanisms by which computer use may be related to cognitive function encompass the contribution of stimulating leisure activities to cognitive reserve on the one hand and the ‘use it or lose it’ concept on the other hand.”
The cognitive reserve concept means that some background factors—namely education and occupation—can provide alternative ways to cope with or compensate for neurologic damage like cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s. So if you are using your computer for intellectually stimulating reasons, such as work or learning a new skill, then you are challenging your brain and preventing cognitive decline, even though the activity itself may be physically passive.
Stay Engaged, Protect Your Brain
The overall lesson here is that, to keep your brain strong and working at its peak, you need to exercise it, just as you’d exercise the rest of your body. The more you challenge your brain, the greater your chances of preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease down the road.
There are many ways to exercise your brain while using the computer. You can play word finds, Sudoku, crossword puzzles and other mind-bending games. You can read intellectually stimulating articles or stories. You can research and learn about something new every day. Even doing your banking online can put your mind to work—especially if you do the math in your head.
In contrast, there is not much activity that goes on in your head while watching TV. So keep your TV-watching to a minimum and instead play a game, do some research online, learn a new language or, better yet, go for a walk!
References:
- Alzheimer’s Association. www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_and_figures.asp.
- Sofi F, et al. J Intern Med. 2011 Jan;269(1):107-17.
- Rockwood K and Middleton L. Alzheimers Dement. 2007 Apr;3(2 Suppl):S38-44.
- Biddle SJ. Am J Prev Med. 2007 Dec;33(6):502-4.
- Kesse-Guyot E, et al. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e47831. Epub 2012 Oct 17.
- Friedland RP, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2001 Mar 13;98(6):3440-5.
