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By Lauren Wilkin
People who watch TV for long periods of time may have poorer brain health, including structural changes in regions linked to memory, a new study claims.
The research, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia this month, analyzed data from about 1,700 adults with an average age of 53.
Participants were asked how frequently they watched TV during their leisure time, recording their answers on a scale from "never/seldom" to "very often," and how much of their workday they spent sitting.
Over 20 years later, participants underwent brain MRI.
The structural changes observed included a reduction in the volume of the brain in key areas associated with memory and emotional regulation.
Lower brain volume is associated with aging, neurological disorders and cognitive decline.
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While the health risks of sitting for prolonged periods of time have long been documented, the effect of what people are doing while sitting has been researched less.
"For years we've focused on how much people sit," says David Raichlen, professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and a senior author of the study.
"Our findings suggest we should also pay attention to what they're doing while they're sitting."
In participants who recorded watching TV "very often," researchers found lower volume in brain regions vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease, greater white matter hyperintensity volume — associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline — and smaller volumes in brain regions involved in:
- Memory
- Attention
- Language
- Emotional regulation
- Visual processing
- Executive function
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The researchers then compared the effect of sitting for prolonged periods of time while working with watching TV.
For those working while sitting, larger cortical volumes in several brain regions were observed, particularly the frontal pole, which is involved in planning, decision-making and other executive functions.
This shows that a lack of mental stimulation may pose more of a problem for our brain health than sitting alone.
However, researchers were quick to note that this doesn't negate the physical health risks of sitting for extended periods, even when working,
Interestingly, men seemed to be much more vulnerable to these brain changes than women.
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When both watching TV and working, men who sat for prolonged periods of time experienced a larger decline in volume than women.
The study didn't find any evidence as to why this difference was observed, but researchers say women may watch TV in a more intermittent way, taking more frequent breaks, whereas men may spend longer, uninterrupted periods watching TV.
"We frequently encourage the public not to spend too much time sitting down, but experts may want to expand that recommendation to encompass the activities done while sitting, since those seem to have distinct impacts on brain health," says study corresponding author Natan Feter, postdoctoral scholar in the Human and Evolutionary Biology program at USC Dornsife.
Engaging in activities while watching TV could help keep your brain stimulated, like knitting, sewing and drawing. Alternatively, taking frequent breaks is advised.
