Previous studies have linked internet use with several beneficial outcomes for brain health, but there is little data on this among older Chinese.
The goal of this study was to explore the association between internet use and cognitive impairment and to explore the possible mechanisms by which internet use prevents cognitive decline.
The current study consisted of two cohorts: one from the China Longitudinal Aging Study (CLAS), which included 610 older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 192 with dementia, and 2,218 healthy older adults; the second cohort included 39 healthy adults from the Shanghai brain health foundation (SHBHF2016001), who underwent T1 cranial magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, from which their volumes of the hippocampus, amygdala, and globus pallidus were calculated. Moreover, they were also followed up for 1 year. Through standardized questionnaires, detailed general demographic information and internet use information was obtained. The cognitive diagnosis of each participant was made by attending psychiatrists at baseline, and their overall cognitive function was assessed by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
In cohort 1, after controlling age, gender, smoker, tea drinker, take exercise, diabetes, and hypertension, we found that internet use was associated with MCI (
Internet use might be a protective factor for mild cognitive impairment among the Chinese elderly, and it may prevent a decline in cognitive decline by affecting the volume of the globus pallidus.