Researchers have concluded that prolonged television viewing in adulthood may lead to a reduction in brain volume. The findings come from a study that tracked a group of nearly 1,700 volunteers for over 20 years and were published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia (A&D).
At the start of the study, specialists surveyed the participants to determine how much time they spent watching TV and generally remaining in a sedentary position each day. Subsequently, all volunteers underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to assess potential structural changes in the brain.
Data analysis revealed that individuals who regularly spent large amounts of time watching television showed a decrease in the volume of several brain regions. These included areas responsible for executive functions and visual information processing, as well as regions associated with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition, this group of participants more frequently exhibited white matter hyperintensity lesions. In medical practice, such changes are commonly linked to age‑related impairments in the brain’s vascular system and to an overall decline in cognitive abilities. The researchers also noted that these negative effects were more pronounced in men.
Notably, the team did not find a similar link between prolonged sitting at work and brain health. The authors explain this by pointing out that professional activities typically involve continuous intellectual engagement. This type of mental activity is fundamentally different from passive TV viewing and tends to have a more beneficial effect on brain function, the publication states.
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