Internet activity may improve cognition

( The more you exercise any part of the brain, the better the chances )

PleaseHelpSupport Alzheimer's Research Today!
Your Alzheimer's donation will help billionslive without it. Donate online now

A recent national study suggests Internet activity may improve cognition and enhance brain function in older adults.

The study brings a new light to the potential benefits of seniors using the Internet, say local experts.

In the study, scientists at UCLA compared the brain activity of users ages 55 to 78 with little Internet activity and those in the same age range with regular Internet activity.

The study found that older adults with little Internet usage increased their brain activity in the memory, language, reading and visual areas of the brain within a short period of time when using the Internet.

Dr. Glen Finney, UF assistant professor of neurology, said the study's findings point to an improvement in older adults' ability to maintain cognitive reserve, the brain's resilience to mental damage and suggest that Internet usage might help combat cognitive-related diseases such as Alzheimer's.

"The more you exercise any part of the brain, the better the chances that it will retain those functions," Finney said. "So while it's not necessarily any better than reading a book, keeping interactive and keeping the language skills up can only help the brain."

Oak Hammock at UF is a retirement community that offers, among its many amenities and features, an open business center where residents can access the Internet.

Alan Moore, an 84-year-old Oak Hammock resident, said he hasn't noticed any improvements in his memory since he began using the Internet eight years ago. If anything, he said, the Internet has affected his grammar usage.

"It hasn't helped with my English. [In e-mail] I abbreviate 'couldn't' with 'cldt,' " Moore said.

Many residents at Oak Hammock are taking the initiative to get acquainted with new technology by forming help groups.

The retirement community has a PC users group and a Mac users group.

When Manny Lucoff, 68, retired five years ago in Gainesville, he became an active member in the Macintosh users group at Oak Hammock.

As an iPod Touch owner, he teaches residents the basics of the current Mac operating system, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, and solves Mac-related problems for residents, sometimes making house calls.

"The group is designed to do two things: demonstrate new hardware and software and uses a place where members can have their questions [answered]," Lucoff said.

Brian Fox, associate professor in business programs, teaches PC Fundamentals I and II for Seniors at Santa Fe College. The courses introduce students to basic computer functions, word processing programs and principles in navigating the Internet.

"I think it's dangerous to extrapolate too much in terms of a specific connection between computer skills and improved memory," Fox said. "To me, it's more of a direct result of simply learning anything new, anything challenging."

Some seniors encounter arrogance from experienced computer users or impatience from family members for their lack of computer skills when they seek help, Fox said. The course he teaches gives students a place to ask their questions and be among peers with their skill level and age.

Many of his students hadn't learned many computer skills because they used clerical support or delegated the tasks, Fox said. Now in retirement, they want to know how to use the computer.

The most common questions from his students concern computer security, e-mail and online searches, he said.

Although his students learn to navigate current operating systems and the Internet in the classroom, they usually do not need a lesson in computer history.

"They can tell you about the early years of the PC and they can tell you about using punch cards and computer tapes," Fox said. "These are men and women who have lived the bulk of their lives, and they didn't have to use computers."...http://www.gainesville.com

More research needed on Monsanto maize

More research is needed to assess the environmental impact of Monsanto’s genetically modified MON 810 maize, according to the French government’s advisory council on biotechnology. ...http://www.nutraingredients.com/

Беларусь ТВ

Posted YVN