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Kordovski VM, Tierney SM, Rahman S, Medina LD, Babicz MA, Yoshida H, Holcomb EM, Cushman C, Woods SP. Older age and online health information search behaviors: The mediating influence of executive functions. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2021; 43:689-703. [PMID: 34730068 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2021.1990866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Searching the internet for health-related information is a complex and dynamic goal-oriented process that ostensibly places demands on executive functions, which are higher-order cognitive abilities that can deteriorate with older age. This study examined the effects of older age on electronic health (eHealth) search behavior and the potential mediating influence of executive functions. METHOD Fifty younger adults (≤ 35 years) and 41 older adults (≥50 years) completed naturalistic eHealth search tasks involving fact-finding (Fact Search) and symptom determination (Symptom Search), a neurocognitive battery, and a series of self-report questionnaires. RESULTS Multiple regression models controlling for potentially confounding psychiatric symptoms, health conditions, literacy, and demographic variables revealed that older adults were slower and less accurate than younger adults on the eHealth Fact Search task, but not on the eHealth Symptom Search task. Executive functions mediated the relationship between age and Fact and Symptom Search accuracy, independent of basic processing speed and attention. Parallel mediation models showed that episodic memory was not an independent mediator of age and search accuracy for either eHealth task once speed/attention and executive functions were included. CONCLUSIONS Older adults can experience difficulty searching the internet for some health-related information, which is at least partly attributable to executive dysfunction. Future studies are needed to determine the benefits of training in the organizational and strategic aspects of internet search for older adults and whether these findings are applicable to clinical populations with executive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samina Rahman
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Luis D Medina
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Hanako Yoshida
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Clint Cushman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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Exploring the Impact of Internet Use on Memory and Attention Processes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17249481. [PMID: 33348890 PMCID: PMC7766706 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The rapid uptake of the internet has provided a new platform for people to engage with almost all aspects of life. As such, it is currently crucial to investigate the relationship between the internet and cognition across contexts and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms driving this. We describe the current understanding of this relationship across the literature and outline the state of knowledge surrounding the potential neurobiological drivers. Through focusing on two key areas of the nascent but growing literature, first the individual- and population-level implications for attention processes and second the neurobiological drivers underpinning internet usage and memory, we describe the implications of the internet for cognition, assess the potential mechanisms linking brain structure to cognition, and elucidate how these influence behaviour. Finally, we identify areas that now require investigation, including (i) the importance of the variation in individual levels of internet usage, (ii) potential individual behavioural implications and emerging population-level effects, and the (iii) interplay between age and the internet–brain relationships across the stages of development.
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Firth J, Torous J, Stubbs B, Firth JA, Steiner GZ, Smith L, Alvarez-Jimenez M, Gleeson J, Vancampfort D, Armitage CJ, Sarris J. The "online brain": how the Internet may be changing our cognition. World Psychiatry 2019; 18:119-129. [PMID: 31059635 PMCID: PMC6502424 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of the Internet across multiple aspects of modern society is clear. However, the influence that it may have on our brain structure and functioning remains a central topic of investigation. Here we draw on recent psychological, psychiatric and neuroimaging findings to examine several key hypotheses on how the Internet may be changing our cognition. Specifically, we explore how unique features of the online world may be influencing: a) attentional capacities, as the constantly evolving stream of online information encourages our divided attention across multiple media sources, at the expense of sustained concentration; b) memory processes, as this vast and ubiquitous source of online information begins to shift the way we retrieve, store, and even value knowledge; and c) social cognition, as the ability for online social settings to resemble and evoke real-world social processes creates a new interplay between the Internet and our social lives, including our self-concepts and self-esteem. Overall, the available evidence indicates that the Internet can produce both acute and sustained alterations in each of these areas of cognition, which may be reflected in changes in the brain. However, an emerging priority for future research is to determine the effects of extensive online media usage on cognitive development in youth, and examine how this may differ from cognitive outcomes and brain impact of uses of Internet in the elderly. We conclude by proposing how Internet research could be integrated into broader research settings to study how this unprecedented new facet of society can affect our cognition and the brain across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Firth
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, Australia
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John Torous
- Division of Digital Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brendon Stubbs
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Josh A Firth
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Genevieve Z Steiner
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, Australia
- Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Lee Smith
- Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mario Alvarez-Jimenez
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John Gleeson
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Davy Vancampfort
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- University Psychiatric Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christopher J Armitage
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Jerome Sarris
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, Australia
- Professorial Unit, The Melbourne Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Australia
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Liu X, Lin X, Zheng M, Hu Y, Wang Y, Wang L, Du X, Dong G. Internet Search Alters Intra- and Inter-regional Synchronization in the Temporal Gyrus. Front Psychol 2018; 9:260. [PMID: 29559939 PMCID: PMC5845706 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Internet search changed the way we store and recall information and possibly altered our brain functions. Previous studies suggested that Internet search facilitates the information-acquisition process. However, this process may cause individuals to lose the ability to store and recollect specific contents. Despite the numerous behavioral studies conducted in this field, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying Internet searches. The present study explores potential brain activity changes induced by Internet search. The whole paradigm includes three phases, namely, pre-resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) scan, 6-day Internet search training, and post rs-fMRI scan. We detected the functional integrations induced by Internet search training by comparing post- with pre-scan. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC) were used to detect intra- and interregional synchronized activity in 42 university students. Compared with pre-scan, post-scan showed decreased ReHo in the temporal gyrus, the middle frontal gyrus, and the postcentral gyrus. Further seed-based FC analysis showed that the temporal gyrus exhibited decreased FC in the parahippocampal cortex and the temporal gyrus after training. Based on the features of current task and functions exhibited by these brain regions, results indicate that short-term Internet search training changed the brain regional activities involved in memory retrieval. In general, this study provides evidence that supports the idea that Internet search can affect our brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Liu
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Xiao Lin
- Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Zheng
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yanbo Hu
- Department of Psychology, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Lingxiao Wang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Xiaoxia Du
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangheng Dong
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.,Institute of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
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Dong G, Li H, Potenza MN. Short-Term Internet-Search Training Is Associated with Increased Fractional Anisotropy in the Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus in the Parietal Lobe. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:372. [PMID: 28706473 PMCID: PMC5489597 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Internet search engine has become an indispensable tool for many people, yet the ways in which Internet searching may alter brain structure and function is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the influence of short-term Internet-search “training” on white matter microstructure using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Fifty-nine valid subjects (Experimental group, 43; Control group, 16) completed the whole procedure: pre- DTI scan, 6-day's training and post- DTI scan. Using track-based spatial statistics, we found increased fractional anisotropy in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus at post-test as compared to pre-test in experimental group. Within the identified region of the right superior longitudinal fasciculus, decreased radial diffusivity (RD), and unchanged axial diffusivity (AD) were observed. These results suggest that short-term Internet-search training may increase white-matter integrity in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. A possible mechanism for the observed FA change may involve increased myelination after training, although this possibility warrants additional investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangheng Dong
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal UniversityJinhua, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal UniversityJinhua, China
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, United States.,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, United States.,CASAColumbia, Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, United States
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Short-term Internet search using makes people rely on search engines when facing unknown issues. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176325. [PMID: 28441408 PMCID: PMC5404767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Internet search engines, which have powerful search/sort functions and ease of use features, have become an indispensable tool for many individuals. The current study is to test whether the short-term Internet search training can make people more dependent on it. Thirty-one subjects out of forty subjects completed the search training study which included a pre-test, a six-day’s training of Internet search, and a post-test. During the pre- and post- tests, subjects were asked to search online the answers to 40 unusual questions, remember the answers and recall them in the scanner. Un-learned questions were randomly presented at the recalling stage in order to elicited search impulse. Comparing to the pre-test, subjects in the post-test reported higher impulse to use search engines to answer un-learned questions. Consistently, subjects showed higher brain activations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in the post-test than in the pre-test. In addition, there were significant positive correlations self-reported search impulse and brain responses in the frontal areas. The results suggest that a simple six-day’s Internet search training can make people dependent on the search tools when facing unknown issues. People are easily dependent on the Internet search engines.
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