Advances in technology are helping middle-aged brains stay sharper, according to new research. Scientists have suggested that 50 is the new 42, as brains age more slowly in order to meet the demands of modern technology.
Researchers have found that people over the age of 50 are now receiving higher scores in cognitive function tests. They believe this is due to computers and smartphones providing more mental stimulation.
This contrasts with concerns that were previously shared by experts that technology could be reducing cognitive function due to it stopping people from having to think. This seems to have been unfounded, if the new research is to be believed, as having to use technology that is increasingly complex seems to be making people smarter.
On average, a person needs to remember around ten passwords each day to access online accounts. They then face increased decision making due to the number of options given to them once they are logged into accounts and programmes.
A population study by researchers, led by Valeria Bordone of the IIASA looked at people over the age of 50 living in England found that cognitive function test scores were the same or higher compared to results from six years ago.
Researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria also looked at population surveys from Germany taken in 2006 and 2012 that looked at brain processing speed as well as mental and physical health. It was found that although mental and physical health had declined over the six years between surveys, cognitive test scores increased quite significantly.
Dr Nadia Steiber, an IIASA World Population Program researcher, said: "We think that these divergent results can be explained by changing lifestyles. Life has become cognitively more demanding, with increasing use of communication and information technology also by older people, and people working longer in intellectually demanding jobs. At the same time, we are seeing a decline in physical activity and rising levels of obesity."
The research was published in the journals PLOS one and Intelligence.