Watching television is correlated with low cognitive function

Abundant watching television and low physical activity at a young age are correlated with lower cognitive function in 25 years, found scientists from the Institute of Education and Research of Northern California, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of California and others. Monitoring of 3247 patients continued quarter-century: from March 25, 1985 until August 31, 2011.

Results published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

For a quarter century, scientists tracked the lifestyles of several thousand young people who at the beginning of the experiment was 18 to 30 years. Each of them periodically completed questionnaires that assessed the amount of time watching television conducted and the level of physical activity in recent years.

25 years later, all participants were tested mental abilities with the help of three tests that assessed verbal memory, information processing speed, executive function (a set of high-level processes, which helps you track current activities in accordance with a common purpose, change the reaction depending on the context, selectively pay attention should be incentives).

Participants who spent much time watching television in his life (more than three hours a day with 2/3 or more visits to the questionnaire) more often showed poor test results (see. Table).



Correlations observed in the tests the speed of information processing, and executive function, but not verbal memory.

Scientists suggest that watching TV can lead to the deterioration of the brain many years later. However, the findings of the study can be interpreted differently: perhaps originally a TV watching people with low cognitive function.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/267786/