How smartphones change shape of brain

[Buster's Uncle]

How smartphones change shape of brain
REUTERS
By BEN SPENCER  December 27 2014 at 09:00am



The 'newfound obsession with smartphones meant people have had to use their hands in totally new ways.



London - Using smartphones every day could change the shape and function of a user’s brain, said experts.

Those who cannot resist fiddling with the touchscreens have a larger and more powerful somatosensory cortex – the area at the centre of the brain which controls the thumbs.

The more time spent on the devices, the stronger the effect on the link between brain and hand.

It also cut reaction time and boosted sensitivity. Dr Arko Ghosh, who led the study in Zurich, Switzerland, said the “newfound obsession” with smartphones meant people have had to use their hands in totally new ways.

The scientists tracked the brain waves of 37 volunteers over ten days as 27 used smartphones and 11 used mobiles with fixed buttons.

They said only simple hand movements were needed for buttons while a touchscreen required far more complex motions.

But, in the journal Current Biology, the study warned that intense smartphone use could lead to pain, spasms and movement disorders. - Daily Mail


http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/news/how-smartphones-change-shape-of-brain-1.1799085#.VJ77QREA