Computer games and the Internet help to keep the mind young
Two notes at once about the benefits of a computer for those who are over…
Internet search is useful for an aging brainAmerican researchers have found that using the Internet improves brain activity, at least in middle-aged and elderly people, by stimulating brain centers responsible for decision-making and complex reasoning.
As we age, a number of changes occur in the human brain, including a reduction in volume and a decrease in the activity of various departments. It is believed that regular exercises that require concentration of memory and attention, such as reading or solving crosswords, can slow down this process, and also possibly reduce the risk of developing senile dementia.
The results of the study, the report of which is published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, indicate that the list of exercises useful for the aging brain can be reasonably added to the search for information on the Internet.
The experiment, conducted by employees of the University of California at Los Angeles, involved 24 volunteers aged 55 to 76 years, half of whom were experienced Internet users, and half were not. All volunteers underwent brain scans while searching the Internet and reading books.
Both types of tasks triggered activation of brain regions controlling memory, language, reading and vision. In addition, when searching the Internet, the brain centers responsible for decision-making and complex reasoning were activated, but only for experienced users.
According to the researchers, this is due to the fact that a large amount of versatile information on a given topic on the Internet often requires the user to decide which of the proposed links to choose to obtain the necessary data. Reading a book of such activity, of course, does not imply. At the same time, the "beginners" who have not yet developed the tactics of searching on the Internet, activation of the corresponding brain regions does not occur.
According to Rebecca Wood, executive director of the Alzheimer's Research Foundation, the data from this and other studies allow us to recommend frequent social contacts, regular exercise, a balanced diet and Internet use to reduce the risk of dementia.
BBC news: Internet use “good for the brain”Computer games can improve road safety
Last week, the American insurance company Allstate sent out to hundreds of thousands of its customers aged 50 to 75 a set of five InSight games that should increase the mental acuity of elderly drivers.
No, the game is not much like the popular Grand Theft Auto. The software package includes entertaining games for PC (Mac fans are still being asked to queue up), which develop observation, train memory, accuracy in determining distances, and the like.
The product development for drivers was carried out by the company Posit Science, which creates specialized video games for teenagers, as well as for hearing training.
InSight will cost $495 to ordinary customers, but it is distributed free of charge among Allstate customers.
The company hopes that the pilot program will manifest itself positively and insurers will feel it: "We expect that drivers who have received new software will have fewer accidents than in the control group," says Tom Warden from Allstate.
The idea of "brain training" is not new in itself. For some time, similar games were released by the Japanese company Nintendo. There are also many popular online resources with games that stimulate "thinking", such as Lumosity, Brain Train Age and BrainMetrix.
Allstate and Posit Science note that scientific data show that 10 hours of such games bring the brain back ten years in terms of memorization, visual information processing and other functional capabilities.
"We used to believe that the brain is a static organ, whose functions weaken over the years after reaching the peak of its development," says Joe Hardy from Posit Science. "However, proper exercise may well support it for many years."
Moreover, the overall standard of living increases (the motto of Positive Science is "Your family will be grateful to you"), since a person remembers/thinks better not only while driving, but also throughout the day. Of course, the effect disappears after several months without games, but you can always play them again.
The results of the study in both companies are expected by March next year and say that by that time the question will be resolved whether to reduce the amount of the insurance premium to those drivers who pass all the proposed levels of the game.
Details can be found in the press release and in the FAQ section on the Allstate website.
Membrane based on the materials of Discovery: Gaming Makes Grown-Ups Safer DriversPortal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru