Objective: Previous research suggests that engaging in mentally stimulating tasks may im-

prove brain health and cognitive abilities. Using computer search engines to find information

on the Internet has become a frequent daily activity of people at any age, including middle-

aged and older adults. As a preliminary means of exploring the possible influence of Internet

experience on brain activation patterns, the authors performed functional magnetic resonance

imaging (MRI) of the brain in older persons during search engine use and explored whether

prior search engine experience was associated with the pattern of brain activation during

Internet use. Design: Cross-sectional, exploratory observational study Participants: The au-

thors studied 24 subjects (age, 55–76 years) who were neurologically normal, of whom 12 had

minimal Internet search engine experience (Net Naive group) and 12 had more extensive

experience (Net Savvy group). The mean age and level of education were similar in the two

groups. Measurements: Patterns of brain activation during functional MRI scanning were

determined while subjects performed a novel Internet search task, or a control task of reading

text on a computer screen formatted to simulate the prototypic layout of a printed book, where

the content was matched in all respects, in comparison with a nontext control task. Results:

The text reading task activated brain regions controlling language, reading, memory, and

visual abilities, including left inferior frontal, temporal, posterior cingulate, parietal, and

occipital regions, and both the magnitude and the extent of brain activation were similar in

the Net Naive and Net Savvy groups. During the Internet search task, the Net Naive group

showed an activation pattern similar to that of their text reading task, whereas the Net Savvy

group demonstrated significant increases in signal intensity in additional regions controlling

decision making, complex reasoning, and vision, including the frontal pole, anterior temporal

region, anterior and posterior cingulate, and hippocampus. Internet searching was associated

with a more than twofold increase in the extent of activation in the major regional clusters in

the Net Savvy group compared with the Net Naive group (21,782 versus 8,646 total activated

voxels). Conclusion: Although the present findings must be interpreted cautiously in light of

the exploratory design of this study, they suggest that Internet searching may engage a greater

extent of neural circuitry not activated while reading text pages but only in people with prior

computer and Internet search experience. These observations suggest that in middle-aged and

older adults, prior experience with Internet searching may alter the brain’s responsiveness in

neural circuits controlling decision making and complex reasoning.(Am J Geriatr Psychiatry

2009; 17:116 –126)

Key Words: Brain activation, functional MRI, Internet search, middle-age and older

adults, computer experience