Smartphones changing the way our brain and thumbs interact
- 9 years ago
For many people, it has become second nature: typing text messages, scrolling web pages, and checking email on a smartphone.
It could actually be changing the way the human brain and thumbs interact. That’s the key finding of researchers from the university of Zurich, in Switzerland.
The research compared the cortical brain activity in touchscreen smartphone users to that of people using old-fashioned cellphones with hard keypads.
Over 60 electrodes on each patient’s scalp recorded how their brain processed touch from their thumb, forefinger and middle finger.
The researchers found that individuals using touchscreen smartphones demonstrated more brain activity when their thumbs and fingertips were touched than those who used old-fashioned cell phones.
“Smartphone users have a brain that processes touch differently than people who don’t use touchscreen smartphones,” said Dr Arko Ghosh, who led the research at the University of Zurich.
“If you dig a bit deeper into the data,
It could actually be changing the way the human brain and thumbs interact. That’s the key finding of researchers from the university of Zurich, in Switzerland.
The research compared the cortical brain activity in touchscreen smartphone users to that of people using old-fashioned cellphones with hard keypads.
Over 60 electrodes on each patient’s scalp recorded how their brain processed touch from their thumb, forefinger and middle finger.
The researchers found that individuals using touchscreen smartphones demonstrated more brain activity when their thumbs and fingertips were touched than those who used old-fashioned cell phones.
“Smartphone users have a brain that processes touch differently than people who don’t use touchscreen smartphones,” said Dr Arko Ghosh, who led the research at the University of Zurich.
“If you dig a bit deeper into the data,