Can internet usage help protect against dementia?

Written By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2023-05-10T09:00:33+05:30 | Updated On 10 May 2023 2:55 PM IST

New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found a link between regular use of the internet and a lower risk of dementia.

For the study, investigators followed 18,154 dementia-free adults aged 50 to 64.9 years for a median of 7.9 years and a maximum of 17.1 years. During follow-up, 4.68% of participants were diagnosed with dementia.

Regular internet usage was associated with approximately half the risk of dementia compared with non-regular usage. This link was found regardless of educational attainment, race-ethnicity, sex, and generation.

“Online engagement may help to develop and maintain cognitive reserve, which can in turn compensate for brain aging and reduce the risk of dementia,” said corresponding author Virginia W. Chang, MD, PhD, of New York University.

Reference:

Gawon Cho, Rebecca A. Betensky, Virginia W. Chang,Internet usage and the prospective risk of dementia: A population-based cohort study, Published: 03 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18394.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Societydementia

Source : Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751