Internet boosts brain power

13:01 16th October 2008

Surfing the internet can increase the power of your brain, a group of researchers from the University of California have discovered.

A study found that for middle aged and elderly internet users web searches stimulate certain sections of the brain and can counteract the natural decline in though processes which occur when we age.

The researchers scanned the brains of 24 volunteers, aged between 55 and 76, while online and found that experienced web-users showed brain activity in areas controlling decision making and complex reasoning.

Professor Gary Small, lead researcher of the team, said: "The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerised technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults."

Mentally challenging games such as Sudoku and crossword puzzles are already known to help older people think faster and more clearly.

Last week, a Chartered Management Institute poll, disclosed that senior executives in the UK are increasingly adopting the use of new media in a bid to improve their IT skills.