We often talk about dementia in the context of age and how our brain changes over time. Cognitive disorders have a diverse nature and their occurrence is influenced by various factors. It turns out that the currently popular habit may contribute to changes in the brain.
These two habits can cause digital dementia. Pay attention to the time
Dementia is not one type of disease. The World Health Organization indicates that the term dementia refers to several different disease entities. However, their common feature is undoubtedly the fact that they affect memory, thinking, and performance of daily activities.
Health guide: dementia
“Digital Dementia” – Are We Facing a Big Problem?
Although we know that lifestyle affects health, we still have different habits that are not necessarily good for the brain. The purpose of the scientific study published in National Library of Medicine It was an analysis of whether a sedentary lifestyle with computer use or television viewing was associated with dementia.
The results showed that by spending more time engaging in cognitively negative behaviors, such as watching television, the risk of developing dementia increases. According to scientists, this relationship was observed regardless of the person's level of physical activity. Interestingly, with regard to computer use, the results were associated with a lower risk of dementia. However, the authors stress the need for broader analyzes in this area.
Another large study conducted by Indian scientists, published in 2023, analyzed the relationship between time spent in front of a screen and the risk of senile dementia. More than 462,000 participants were taken into account, and experts evaluated computer use and television viewing.
The results of the study showed that more than 4 hours of screen time per day was associated with an increased risk of developing vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and other types of dementia. What is also important is that the more time a person spends in front of a screen, the more it is observed to be associated with physical changes in certain areas of the brain.
As the site indicates Healthline Digital dementia cannot be diagnosed, so it is difficult to determine when the first symptoms appear. However, cases such as:
Although technology brings many benefits, including developmental benefits, we must remember that spending more than the above four hours a day in front of a computer, phone, tablet or TV screen may also have a significant and negative impact on the functioning of the brain. .
Dementia – what is it?
Dementia can be a cause and result of some diseases. To better understand this relationship, it is sufficient to emphasize that dementia may appear as a result of obesity or depression, but it also contributes to other health problems, such as movement disorders or urinary incontinence. A lot depends on the type of dementia we are dealing with.
However, regardless of the nature of the disorder, dementia is closely linked to changes that occur in the brain. The neurons that are destroyed gradually damage the brain, usually leading to the emergence and intensification of cognitive disorders.
Importantly, the first signs of dementia may appear even before bouts of forgetfulness. This was mentioned by Dr. Anna Filipek-Gliszczynska, who pointed out that when a person over 60 years old has problems using a new phone or forgets the arrangements, this is a signal to visit a doctor. You can find more about this here.
As cognitive disorders develop, the following symptoms of dementia may appear, as noted by the World Health Organization:
- Forgetting recent things or events
- Losing or misplacing things,
- Getting lost while walking or driving,
- Disorientation, even in familiar places
- Losing track of time
- Difficulty solving problems or making decisions
- Trouble following conversations or finding words
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks
- Incorrect visual assessment of distance from objects.
According to WHO guidelines, common changes in mood and behavior include:
- Feeling anxious, sad, or angry due to memory loss
- personality changes,
- Inappropriate behavior
- Withdrawal from work or social activities,
- Less concern for other people's feelings.
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