The age of the tech-savvy senior has arrived. But dementia and cognitive decline is hugely on the rise. Are smartphones and tablets helpful to those suffering with the disease? Or could they be doing more harm than good?
As the amount of people with dementia doubles every half a decade, there’s little doubt that an increasing problem requires increased solutions. While it’s been made quite clear that dementia and cognitive decline can actually be prevented by certain actions and measures, real evidence on the use of tech, and phones especially, remain unclear.
Smartphones & cognitive impairment
Concerns were raised about the possible detrimental effects of smartphone use after a report showed how just 5 minutes of phone use can cause “significant memory impairment” in humans.
The report tested healthy participants as well as those with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and reported on decreased memory abilities before and after phone use. It was concluded that mobile phones have a “significant negative impact on working memory performance of human participants”.
The report read: “These results are in agreement with previous studies on animals as well as humans on the effects of MP (mobile phone) use on the brain.
“It is argued that low sensitivity of some of the cognitive tasks used until now and the lack of a validated tool in the form of a cognitive task may account for some of the variability in the literature so far.
“It is suggested that the experimental paradigm that was used in this study for an increased sensitivity measurement of cognitive function and working memory processes in particular may be used for the display of the effects of MP use on cognitive function and for the development of other tasks sensitive to it.
“Overall, it is concluded that the development of certain restrictions on MP use is necessary for the protection of the brain health of the users.
The idea that using apps and smartphones as aids for dementia patients, has unsurprisingly raised doubts.
Smartphones as cognitive aids
The National Library of Medicine reported on a systematic review, which explored the use of smartphones and tablets as cognitive and memory aids for seniors. The focus was on people both with and without cognitive impairment.
Though there was “some evidence” that smartphones and tablets could aid cognitive function in those without cognitive impairment, there was very little proof in the way of it helping those already suffering with dementia.
Risk factors & dementia
As previously reported by Health Tech World, a study was released in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Disease Monitoring, a journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. A cognitive test was carried out which resulted in “risk factors” being released, suggesting that we can control, to a point, our own risk of developing dementia.
The risk factors, which include low education, hearing loss, depression and alcohol abuse, are thought to be useful in preventing the disease, though not all of them are within a person’s control.
Tech for helping with dementia
Though they can’t reduce the effects of the disease, there are apps, games and other tools which can help those living with dementia.
My Home Helper, for example, offers a simple tablet device which helps the user to remember certain tasks, and uses talking texts, timed reminders and a calendar clock to help with day-to-day living.
Age Concern offers various dementia “packs” including reminiscence cards, jigsaw puzzles and conversation cards, as well as games and in-person meet ups with social activities.
There’s also a multitude of phone and tablet apps for people with dementia, focusing on everything from digital gardening and pottery, to general brain training games and exercises. Alzheimer’s Family Centre has put together a useful roundup of apps for dementia patients, which you can view here.
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