Long television viewing in midlife tied to higher dementia risk, study finds

ANBAR, Iraq — A study from a University of Southern California research team suggests that long hours spent watching television in midlife are associated with a higher risk of dementia roughly two decades later. Researchers from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Sciences and Biology tracked television viewing and work habits of around 1,700 adults whose average age was 53 between 1987 and 1989. MRI scans taken about 20 years later showed volume loss in brain regions linked to memory among those who watched the most television, with additional shrinkage detected in the frontal and occipital lobes, areas tied to planning, attention, decision-making and visual processing. Participants who spent more time working showed larger frontal and occipital lobe volumes, which the researchers linked to sustained focus, problem-solving and social interaction. Study author Nathan Whittaker recommended avoiding long periods of sedentary sitting and filling leisure time with activities considered more beneficial for brain health. The findings, drawn from a long-running cohort study, add to a growing body of research linking sedentary behavior to cognitive decline, though the authors cautioned that the results show association rather than direct causation.