Watching too much TV in midlife may shrink the brain
A study suggests that frequent television viewing during midlife is associated with reduced brain volume in areas related to memory. Researchers noted that these structural changes appear linked to the specific activity of watching TV rather than general sedentary behavior.
Why it matters
Understanding the cognitive impacts of specific sedentary habits could lead to better public health recommendations for preventing dementia and cognitive decline.
"Turn off that TV, it'll rot your brain!" has been repeated in households for generations. The word "rot" is clearly an exaggeration, but new research suggests that heavy television viewing may still have meaningful consequences for brain health.
A recent study published in Alzheimer's and Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer's Association found that adults who said they watched television "very often" during midlife later showed smaller volumes in brain regions tied to memory. They also had reduced frontal and occipital lobe volume and more damage in the brain's white matter, changes that have been associated with aging, stroke risk, cognitive decline and dementia.
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