Excessive TV watching in midlife may shrink brain areas essential for memory, study finds (Image AI Generated)
Dark and long eyes can do more than just lessen physical activity, they can have an impact on overall brain health. A study, published, indicates that individuals who watched television regularly when they were midlife experienced a reduction in regions of memory, decision-making and visuo-processing when they were older. The results suggest "action while sitting" is just as important as length of sitting, researchers say.
The study builds upon other findings that indicate that sitting for long periods with minimal cognitive stimulation may cause more damage to the brain ageing than activities that do involve some mental engagement.
The new study, appearing in the Alzheimer's & Dementia journal, tracked nearly 1,700 adults of the long-running Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study for almost 24 years. People who said they watched television "very often" in their middle years later had:
Interestingly these changes weren't observed in individuals who sat for much of the day but also had to engage their brain. This implies that watching television may have a more adverse effect on brain than other sedentary activities.
The researchers say TV viewing is a passively performed cognitive task. This is different than reading, solving problems or working, it has very little mental effort. With low levels of mental stimulation over several years, and increased sitting time, there could be a change in brain structure.
The researchers added that the results were not just the effect of exercise, as staying active at the mental level is just as much a key part to keeping the brain healthy.
The new study agrees with previous findings published in the journal Brain and Behaviour from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. This study tracked 599 adults for 20 years and concluded that those who watched more TV in early and middle adulthood were shown to have reduced grey matter volume in what is responsible for memory and higher thinking processes specifically in the frontal and entorhinal cortex. These associations persisted even when physical activity was taken into account.
Recommendations from health professionals are to limit long periods of sitting time at the same time selecting activities that provide mental stimulation.
World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends physical activity during the week to maintain adult's health, including brain health. The movement frequency, intensity, and duration needs to help prevent the incidence of many chronic diseases, along with minimizing hours spent sedentary.
Lifelong learning, reading, being social, getting enough rest and exercise are other brain games the Mayo Clinicsuggests that can help keep minds sharp as they get older.
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