Those who multitask with portable electronic devices have been found to
have significantly less dense gray matter in a particular cortical region
involved in emotion and thought.
by John
Tyburski
Copyright © Daily
Digest News, KPR Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
Those who
love to multitask with their electronic devices may actually have regions in
their brains that are less dense than in those who use portable electronic
devices infrequently.
A new study,
conducted by Kep Kee Loh and colleagues at the University in Sussex in England,
found that the gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex was less dense in
those who media multitask compared with those who do not. The anterior
cingulate cortex plays a major role in emotional control and thought processes.
“Media
multitasking is becoming more prevalent in our lives today and there is
increasing concern about its impacts on our cognition and social-emotional
well-being,” said Loh, a neuroscientist.
The study
was not designed to determine whether media multitasking caused the
differences. Loh said that it is possible that those with lower density in the
anterior cingulate cortex are predisposed to media multitasking. This may
result from decreased socio-emotional regulation in these individuals, Loh
speculated.
The
researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the
brains of 75 people who reported on their personal media device, TV, and print
media use habits.
Previous
studies have suggested a link exists between media multitasking and
inattention, anxiety, and depression. On the other hand, learning new things
increases gray matter density in other brain regions.
“The exact
mechanisms of these changes are still unclear,” Loh said.
The study was
published online on Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.
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