Study finds that regular internet usage can majorly prevent dementia

A new study has claimed that browsing the web regularly can decrease the chances of getting dementia.

"Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning," the NHS explains. "There are many different causes of dementia and many different types."

A US study followed the lives of over 18,000 middle-aged adults for 17 years under the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

While scientists still don't fully understand the causes of dementia, Study co-author Dr Virginia W Chang suggested: "Online engagement may help to develop and maintain cognitive reserve, which in turn can compensate for brain ageing and the risk of dementia."

The participants were asked: "Do you regularly use the World Wide Web, or the Internet, for sending and receiving e-mail or for any other purpose, such as making purchases, searching for information, or making travel reservations?"

Those who had selected "yes" had around half the risk of dementia compared to those who didn't use the Internet. Researchers also delved into the relationship between online usage and demographic such as gender, age and education.

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Their findings reportedly revealed that "regular internet usage was associated with approximately half the risk of dementia compared to non-regular usage."

They added: "The difference in risk between regular and non-regular users did not vary by educational attainment, race–ethnicity, sex, [or] generation."

They concluded that "additional periods of regular usage were associated with significantly reduced dementia risk... Being a regular internet user for longer periods in late adulthood was associated with delayed cognitive impairment, although further evidence is needed on potential adverse effects of excessive usage."

Full findings can be found here.

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