daily use of smartphones is changing the shape and function of our brains — study
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Daily use of smartphones is changing the shape and function of our brains — study

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Daily use of smartphones is changing the shape and function of our brains — study

Using a touchscreen requires a far more complex set of motions than a traditional keypad
Zurich - Arab today

Smartphones have become so integral to modern life, they may have altered the shape and function of the human brain, according to new research.

Experts have discovered that people who use touchscreen phones on a daily basis have a larger and more powerful somatosensory cortex — the area at the centre of the brain which controls the thumbs.

They think that the more time someone spends fiddling with their smartphone, the bigger the link between brain and hand.

Smartphones have become so integral to modern life, they may have altered the shape and function of the human brain, according to new research.

Experts have discovered that people who use touchscreen phones on a daily basis have a larger and more powerful somatosensory cortex — the area at the centre of the brain which controls the thumbs

They think that the more time someone spends fiddling with their smartphone, the bigger the link between brain and hand.

But while the brain has long been known to be able to adapt to new demands — such changes can sometimes result in chronic pain and movement disorders.

Dr Ghosh of the University of Zurich in Switzerland, said: “I think we must appreciate how common personal digital devices are and how densely people use them

“The digital technology we use on a daily basis shapes the sensory processing in our brains.”

Smartphones force people to use their hands in ways they have never had to in the history of human evolution. Not only are we suddenly using our fingertips and thumbs in a new way, but we do so hour after hour, day after day.

The Swiss team tracked 37 volunteers over ten days — 27 of them using touchscreen phones and 11 using traditional mobile telephones with fixed buttons.

Monitoring their brain waves, they found that people using the modern touchscreen phones had altered the form and function of their somatosensory cortex.

Writing in the journal Current Biology, the scientists said those who used smartphones had changed the way their thumbs and brains worked together, with a larger effect seen with those who had used their phones more.

While using fixed buttons require simple hand movements, using a touchscreen requires a far more complex set of motions.

The part of the brain controlling the sense of touch in the thumbs and fingertips saw much more activity — increasing the connection between them and speeding up reaction time and sensitivity.

More touchscreen use translated directly into greater brain activity when the thumbs were touched, they found.

“We found that the common use of touchscreen phones was associated with cortical reorganisation,” they wrote.

“The cortical activity evoked by touch to the thumb tip was directly proportional to the amount of thumb use over the past ten days.”

Dr Ghosh said: “I was really surprised by the scale of the changes introduced by the use of smartphones.”

He compared the brain alteration to those seen in keen musicians.

In violinists, for instance, the area of the brain linked to the fingers that guide the instrument is larger than in other people.

But while there may be benefits — for example increased sensitivity and faster links between brain and fingers — the scientists are concerned that intense phone use may also be bad for human health.

Altering the shape of the somatosensory cortex can lead to pain, spasms and movement disorders such as dystonia, they warned.

The scientists said that the brain alterations are likely to be “maladaptive”.

“Plasticity of the somatosensory cortex is associated with the development of chronic pain,” they wrote in the journal article.

“Worryingly, there is some evidence linking excessive phone use with motor dysfunctions and pain.

“More research is still needed to unravel the consequences of the altered sensory processing linked to the use of touchscreen devices

source : gulfnews

 

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

daily use of smartphones is changing the shape and function of our brains — study daily use of smartphones is changing the shape and function of our brains — study

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

daily use of smartphones is changing the shape and function of our brains — study daily use of smartphones is changing the shape and function of our brains — study

 



GMT 12:11 2017 Thursday ,27 July

Tony Baroud to present new TV show

GMT 23:00 2017 Monday ,16 October

Egypt FM to head for Slovenia on Monday

GMT 20:06 2017 Friday ,20 January

Daesh in new demolitions at Syria’s Palmyra

GMT 21:06 2017 Friday ,24 November

Marriyum condemns Hayatabad terrorists attack

GMT 01:00 2017 Saturday ,25 November

Cabinet Affairs Minister Meets Indonesian Ambassador

GMT 02:34 2018 Thursday ,04 January

Merger creates state-owned gas giant

GMT 10:08 2017 Tuesday ,07 March

Geneva farce: The regime is the opposition

GMT 10:19 2017 Saturday ,18 November

AJK Prime Minister condemns across LoC shelling

GMT 11:34 2017 Wednesday ,22 March

33 Syrians killed in Air raid on Raqqa’s school

GMT 11:03 2017 Wednesday ,01 March

Asala declares her solidarity with George Wassouf

GMT 17:57 2017 Wednesday ,11 October

Mideast nations turn to private sector

GMT 14:11 2016 Wednesday ,30 November

Tunisia wins billion-dollar pledges to boost economy

GMT 23:41 2017 Tuesday ,26 September

Qatar laborer ‘sacked’ after speaking to UN team

GMT 04:28 2017 Tuesday ,21 March

Enrique Iglesias to headline Bahrain F1
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday