Smartphone use could protect older adults from cognitive decline.
A study published in Nature with data from more than 400,000 adults questions the theory of digital dementia.
BarcelonaThe first generation of people who have interacted with digital technology for much of their lives has reached an age where they are at risk for dementia. And the question quickly arises: has technological exposure helped or harmed their cognitive abilities? The digital dementia hypothesis predicts that a lifetime of exposure to technological devices worsens these abilities. But a study published in Nature Human Behavior points in another direction: it suggests that the use of computers, mobile phones, or the internet in people over 50 can combat cognitive decline.
The publication, led by two researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Baylor, is based on the analysis of 57 studies conducted with more than 411,000 adults that included some cognitive or dementia test. The objective was to contrast the digital dementia hypothesis with others that claim that the use of digital technology fosters "technological reserve" and promotes behaviors that preserve cognition. While they found no evidence of the former, the results would reinforce the latter.
"The use of digital technologies was associated with lower rates of cognitive decline over time," the researchers conclude. They also highlight that these effects remained after adjusting for various demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors. "Our data suggest that encouraging older adults to use technology [...] could be a powerful approach to promoting cognitive health," said Dr. Jared F. Benge, one of the co-authors of the study, in an article on the University of Texas website.
Inconclusive results
"Using digital devices in the same way we use television – passively and sedentarily, physically and psychologically – is probably not beneficial [...]. But our computers and smartphones They can also be mentally stimulating, allow for social connections, and compensate for cognitive skills that decline with aging," he added. in the newspaper The Guardian the other author of the study, Dr. Michael K. Scullin of Baylor University.
Despite the findings, however, the researchers err on the side of caution, admitting that the results are not conclusive. "Further work is needed to test bidirectional causal interpretations, understand the mechanisms underlying technological reserve, and identify how the types and timing of technological exposure influence cognitive health," they conclude in the publication in Nature.
