MRIs show screen time linked to lower brain development in preschoolers

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/04/health/screen-time-lower-brain-development-preschoolers-wellness/index.html

MRIs show screen time linked to lower brain development in preschoolers

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 11:44 AM ET, Mon November 4, 2019

Lateral – from the outside of hemisphere looking outside of the hemisphere

Medial – from the Outside looking at the inside surface.

My Quick take: I cannot believe the images and the findings. That a medium that attracts attention and tries to hold attention doesn’t elicits patterned responses that enhance learning unless it is designed to do so e.g. and even worse. “In fact, a study found that even having the TV on in the same room with a baby or toddler negatively impacted their ability to play and interact.” “In addition, the tracts of white matter responsible for executive functions were also disorganized and underdeveloped (the parts of the brain shown in blue in the image).” “Executive Functions are crucial for Human development”

Velandy Manohar, MD, Medical Director- Aware Recovery Care- CT, President- ARC, In-Home Addiction Treatment Care, PC

[Please make every effort to look at the images of the Cerebral Hemispheres. I couldn't reproduce these images. Velandy Manohar, MD

This view shows the three major tracts involved with language and literacy skills: 

1. the Arcuate Fasciculus, shaded in white, which connects brain areas involved with receptive and expressive language. 

2. The one in brown supports rapid naming of objects, and 

3. The one in beige, visual imagery. 

4. The blue color illustrates lower measures of white matter development in children using excessive screen time.

 The results showed that children who used more than the AAP's recommended amount of screen time, of an hour a day without parental interaction, had more disorganized, underdeveloped white matter throughout the brain.

"The average screen time in these kids was a little over two hours a day," Hutton said. "The range was anywhere from about an hour to a little over five hours."

In addition, the tracts of white matter responsible for executive functions were also disorganized and underdeveloped (the parts of the brain shown in blue in the image).

"These are tracks that we know are involved with language and literacy," Hutton said, "And these were the ones relatively underdeveloped in these kids with more screen time. So the imaging findings lined up pretty perfectly with the behavioral cognitive testing finding."

"These findings are fascinating but very, very preliminary," pediatrician Dr. Jenny Radesky wrote in an email. Radesky, who was not involved in the study, is the lead author on the American Academy of Pediatrics 2016 guidelines on screen use by children and adolescents.

"We know that early experiences shape brain growth, and media is one of these experiences. But it's important for parents to know that these results don't show that heavy media use causes 'brain damage,'" Radesky wrote.

Hutton agrees. "It's not that the screen time damaged the white matter," he said, adding that what could be occurring is that screen time is too passive for brain development.

"Perhaps screen time got in the way of other experiences that could have helped the children reinforce these brain networks more strongly," he said.

The first years of life need to be focused on human interactions that encourage speaking, interacting socially and playing with loving caregivers to develop thinking, problem-solving and other executive skills.

"There's a really great quote in brain science: Neurons that fire together wire together," Hutton said. That means the more you practice anything the more it reinforces and organizes the connections in your brain.

In addition to the MRI results, excessive screen time was significantly associated with poorer emerging literacy skills and ability to use expressive language, as well as testing lower on the ability to rapidly name objects on cognitive tests taken by the 47 children in the study.

"Remember that this is all relative," Hutton said, adding that more in-depth clinical trials need to be done to tease out the specifics.

"Still, it's possible that over over time, these effects can add up," Hutton said. "We know that kids who start behind tend to get more and more behind as they get older.

"So it could be the case that kids who start with less well-developed brain infrastructure may be less likely to be engaged, successful readers later in school," said Hutton, who also directs the Reading & Literacy Discovery Center at Cincinnati Children's.

Radesky wants to see the results replicated in other populations. "Researchers and pediatricians should take it as a launching point for future research," she wrote. "There are so many other home and family factors that affect brain development -- such as stress, parent mental health, play experiences, language exposure -- and none of these were accounted for in this study."

What parents can do

"It can feel overwhelming to think that our every parenting decision impacts our child's brain development, but it's important to also see this as an opportunity," Radesky said.

"There are parent-child activities we know help children's development: reading, singing, connecting emotionally, being creative, or even just taking a walk or dedicating some time in our busy days to laugh together," she added.

The AAP has tools to calculate your child's media time and then establish a family media plan. Basic guidelines are as follows:

Infants:

No baby under 18 months old should be exposed to screen media, other than video chatting with friends and family, the AAP says. Babies need to interact with caregivers and their environment, and not be placed in front of media as a babysitter.

In fact, a study found that even having the TV on in the same room with a baby or toddler negatively impacted their ability to play and interact.

Toddlers:

By the time a baby turns 2 years old, they can learn words from a person on a live video chat and some interactive touchscreens. The chief factor in facilitating a toddler's ability to learn from baby videos and interactive touchscreens, studies show, is when parents watch with them and reteach the content.

Preschoolers:

Children from 3 to 5 years old can benefit from quality TV shows, such as "Sesame Street," the AAP says. A well designed show can improve a child's cognitive abilities, help teach words, and impact their social development.

But the AAP warns that many educational apps on the market aren't developed with input from developmental specialists and can do more harm than good when they take a child away from playtime with caregivers and other children.

And just like toddlers, preschoolers learn much better from any educational materials when they are co-viewed, and the caregiver interacts with the child about the material.

"I cannot believe the images and the findings. That a medium that attracts attention and tries to hold attention doesn’t elicits patterned responses that enhance learning unless it is designed to do so e.g. and even worse. “In fact, a study found that even having the TV on in the same room with a baby or toddler negatively impacted their ability to play and interact. " Velandy Manohar, MD