Can Internet Use Prevent And Slow Cognitive Decline?
The plasticity of our brain, which allows it to be modified both in its function and structure (Kolb and Whishaw, 1998), has been key in the great capacity of adaptation to the human environment, allowing us to adapt to a multitude of environments. and colonize all corners of the Earth.
Among other functions, This malleability makes it possible that, in interaction with the environment, we can increase our cognitive reserve , in turn allowing greater brain plasticity. The concept of cognitive reserve refers to the fact that, when carrying out tasks that require greater brain activity in a certain area, the ability to use alternative brain networks more effectively develops, which can serve as a self-protection mechanism against, for example, deterioration. cognitive associated with age or an injury caused by trauma (Rodríguez-Álvarez and Sánchez-Rodríguez, 2004).
What is the impact that the use of the Internet has on this use of cognitive resources?
Patricia Tun and Margie Lachman (2010), from Brandeis University, conducted a study with a sample drawn from the MIDUS (Midlife Development in the United States) program. This sample, composed of 2,671 participants, covered a range of adults between 32 and 84 years old, of different socioeconomic status and different educational levels.
First, participants answered a series of questions that assessed how frequently they used their computer. After this, through a battery of tests, different cognitive domains were measured such as episodic verbal memory, working memory capacity, executive function (verbal fluency), inductive reasoning and processing speed. Additionally, another test was conducted that measured reaction time and the speed with which participants switched between two tasks, which required substantial performance of central executive functions, which in turn play a critical role in computer use. .
Obtaining this data allowed the researchers to develop the hypothesis of whether there is an association between a greater frequency of computer use and a hypothetical better performance in executive functions comparing between individuals who are similar both in basic intellectual abilities and in age, sex, education and health status.
After analyzing the results, and controlling the demographic variables that could interfere with the results, A positive correlation was seen between the frequency of computer use and cognitive performance across the entire age range Furthermore, in individuals with the same cognitive ability, greater computer use was associated with better performance of executive functions in the test of alternating between two tasks. This last effect of better control of executive functions was more pronounced in individuals with lower intellectual abilities and fewer educational advantages, which represented a compensation for their situation.
In conclusion, the researchers argue that these results are consistent with research in which it has been found that performing tasks that involve considerable mental activity can help maintain cognitive abilities at a good level throughout adulthood.
In light of these facts, The importance of universalizing the use of computers and Internet access is raised Starting from the hypothesis that carrying out a truly stimulating mental activity is beneficial both for intellectual abilities and for reinforcing cognitive reserve, it can be inferred that promoting these technologies from the authorities would be an investment in the quality of life of citizens.
What neuroscience says about it?
Building on the previously mentioned theories about how practicing mental activities can alter patterns of neural activity, Small and colleagues (2009), from the University of California, They decided to investigate how the use of new technologies changes brain structure and function To do this, they had 24 subjects between 55 and 78 years old, who were assigned to two categories.
All subjects were similar in terms of demographics and, depending on the frequency and skill in using the computer and the Internet, 12 were included in the group of Internet experts and 12 in the group of novices. The tasks that both groups performed were two; On the one hand, they were asked to read a text in book format from which they would be evaluated later. On the other hand, they were asked to carry out a search on a specific topic, on which they would also be evaluated later, in a search engine. The topics they had to read or search about were the same in both conditions. While performing these tasks, subjects underwent a brain scan using functional magnetic resonance imaging to see which areas were activated while reading or searching.
During the text reading task, both Internet novices and experts showed significant activation in the left hemisphere , in the frontal, temporal and parietal regions (angular gyrus), as well as in the visual cortex, the hippocampus and the cingulate cortex, that is, areas that are involved in the control of language and visual abilities. The difference was found, as predicted by the researchers’ hypothesis, in the activity during the Internet information search task.
The data obtained, explained
While in the novices the same areas were activated as during text reading, in the experts, in addition to these areas dedicated to reading, the frontal lobe, the right anterior temporal cortex, the posterior cingulate gyrus were activated significantly more. and the right and left hippocampus, showing a greater spatial extent of brain activity. These areas in which there was greater activation in the experts control key mental processes to perform Internet searches correctly, such as complex reasoning and decision making. These results can be explained by the fact that An Internet search does not only require reading text, but you also have to constantly interact with the stimuli that are presented
On the other hand, in research carried out with other types of mental tasks, after a peak of great activation, Brain activity tended to decrease as the subject acquired skill in the task and this was becoming routine. This, however, does not seem to happen when using the Internet, since despite continued practice it remains a truly stimulating task for the brain, measured in patterns of brain activity.
Based on their findings in this study, Small and his collaborators believe that, although the brain’s sensitivity to new technologies can cause addiction or attention deficit problems in people with particularly malleable brains (children and adolescents), the general The use of these technologies will bring, above all, positive consequences for the quality of life of the majority They argue this optimism on the basis that, being a very mentally demanding task, these are designed to keep people cognitively awake, who will exercise their abilities and obtain psychological benefits.
But not all are good news. On the other side of the coin we find arguments such as those of Nicholas Carr (author of the popular article Is Google Making Us Stupid?), who states that this reorganization of brain wiring can lead us to develop great difficulties in carrying out tasks that require attention. sustained, such as, for example, reading long paragraphs of text or maintaining concentration on the same task for a certain period of time.
In his book Superficials: What is the Internet doing to our minds?, referring to the approach proposed in Small’s work, Carr (2010) highlights that “When it comes to neural activity, it is a mistake to assume that the more, the better” . He reasons that, when it comes to processing information, the greater brain activity found in people accustomed to using the Internet is not simply equivalent to exercising our brains, but rather causes an overload in it.
This overactivation, which does not appear in reading books, is due to the continuous excitation of the brain areas associated with executive functions while we browse the Internet Although it cannot be seen with the naked eye, the multiple stimuli that are presented to us subject our brain to a constant decision-making process; For example, upon seeing a link we must decide in a small fraction of seconds whether we will “click” on it or not.
Based on these premises, Nicholas Carr concludes that this modification of our brain function will sacrifice to a certain extent our ability to retain information, which was favored by the calm and attentive reading methods required by paper texts. In contrast, thanks to the use of the Internet, we will become magnificent and fast detectors and processors of small portions of information, since… Why store so much information in my prehistoric brain if a silicon memory can do it for me?
