Tracking Computer Use Can Indicate Early Signs Of Alzheimer's Disease

An interesting new study says that scientists can predict whether computer use can help doctors to predict the people who will develop Alzheimer's. Researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) explained that older adults who did not use the computers much show a greater risk of being exposed to Alzheimer's, which is the most common form of dementia.

Hence, researchers, headed by Lisa Silbert of the OSHU Layton Center for Aging & Alzheimer's Disease, examined the regular computer habits and also scanned the brains of 27 participants who were part of the Intelligent Systems for Assessing Aging Change study. The participants were aged 65 or older, with healthy brains that did not show signs of dementia.

There also seems to be a link between the use of the computer and hippocampal volume, say experts.

This region of the brain plays a big role in memory. Adults who use computers less often everyday show smaller hippocampal volume, pointing to a rise in Alzheimer's.

On the other hand, adults using the computer more often showed a reduced risk of Alzheimer's. Every additional hour on the computer indicated a .025 percent increase in hippocampal volume.

"Less daily computer use is associated with smaller brain volume in regions that are integral to memory function and known to be involved early with Alzheimer's pathology and conversion to dementia," the study authors wrote. "Continuous monitoring of daily computer use may detect signs of preclinical neurodegeneration in older individuals at risk for dementia."

The reasoning was that as the computer calls for using various parts of the brain, people with smaller hippocampal volumes may not be as skilled as those who show larger hippocampal volumes.

Persons who exhibit smaller hippocampal volume may show signs of cognitive decline not related to aging. Experts believe that the use of computers to forecast early dementia can be effective.

An early version of the study's findings was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.