Despite all that negativity, some studies are actually showing that internet use throughout live can improve mental function.  The latest study, from the prestigious Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA found that older adults using the internet were able to sharpen their mental skills and ward off the decline in function that their peers were facing.

When searching for information on the internet, the researchers spotted key decision-making and reasoning centers of the brain firing.  Previous studies have shown that this type of stimulation leads to enhanced cognitive processing and slows the decline in overall brain function.

Describes Gary Small, MD, a professor of psychiatry at the institute, "We found that for older people with minimal experience, performing Internet searches for even a relatively short period of time can change brain activity patterns and enhance function."

The study, which had 24 healthy adult participants between the ages of 55 and 78, found a sharp divide in level of internet use.  It found that approximately half of the adults used the internet daily, while about half had little to no internet experience.

The study started by the researchers recording via fMRI scans brain activity during internet use.  The participants were then instructed to go home and spend one hour a day surfing the net, for seven days over a two-week period.  Users were encouraged to use the internet to try to help find answers to their questions.  A second scan was performed at the end of two weeks, with users given new topics to search.

Both scans showed the searching activating parts of the brain associated with language, reading, memory, and visual abilities.  However, among those who hadn't used the internet, new additional centers were activated during web browsing, which were typically active in experienced users. 

The activated regions, the middle frontal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus, are better known for their role in working memory and decision-making skills.  The distracting atmosphere of the internet proved the perfect stimulation for these centers, as adults learned to focus and hold thoughts for longer and weed out the important points from graphics and extraneous text.

The good news for elderly that haven't used the internet much is that it appears that in as little as a few days they can start stimulating their brain as much as regular users.  UCLA is presenting the results at the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago and is suggesting that doctors and retirement homes to hold internet clinics for the elderly and encourage them to search the web regularly.