Can internet usage help protect against dementia?

New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found a link between regular use of the internet and a lower risk of dementia.

For the study, investigators followed 18,154 dementia-free adults aged 50 to 64.9 years for a median of 7.9 years and a maximum of 17.1 years. During follow-up, 4.68% of participants were diagnosed with dementia.

Regular internet usage was associated with approximately half the risk of dementia compared with non-regular usage. This link was found regardless of educational attainment, race-ethnicity, sex, and generation.

"Online engagement may help to develop and maintain cognitive reserve, which can in turn compensate for brain aging and reduce the risk of dementia," said corresponding author Virginia W. Chang, MD, Ph.D., of New York University.