A few decades ago, TV got a bad rap for turning brains into mush, and now smart phones are getting the same blame. But a new study published in the journal Neuropsychological Rehabilitation has found evidence that, for the latter device anyway, this may not be true. Researchers found that a smart phone training program specifically designed for people with memory loss can result in great improvements of day-to-day mental function.
Baycrest, an academic health sciences center in Toronto Canada, studied 10 individuals between the ages of 18 and 55 who had moderate to severe memory impairment from conditions such as stroke, tumor or epilepsy. Each person was given a phone and were trained on how to use it. Activities like setting calendar reminders and alarms allowed the device to tap into the user’s implicit-procedural memory, which helped the participants to improve their day-to-day memory functioning and boosted their confidence.
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According to Dr. Eva Svoboda, a clinical neuropsychologist at Baycrest, the study found that, “ ...it is possible to harness powerful emerging technologies with brain science in an innovative way to give people with a range of memory deficits some of their independence back."
Via: EurekaAlert
Credit: Ron Royals/Corbis
Tags: Cell Phones, Communication, Gadgets, Health, Smart Phones
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