Large NIH study to collect and share data on the impact on kids ’ brains of screen time and other social, behavioral, physical and environmental factors

NIH Study Probes Impact of Heavy Screen Time on Young Brains (Bloomberg): “Brain scans of adolescents who are heavy users of smartphones, tablets and video games look different from those of less active screen users, preliminary results from an ongoing study funded by the National Institutes of Health show … That’s the finding of the first batch of scans of 4,500 nine- to 10-year-olds. Scientists will follow those children and thousands more for a decade to see how childhood experiences, including the use of digital devices, affect their brains, emotional development and mental health… Early results from the $300 million study, called Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD), have determined that children who spend more than two hours of daily screen time score lower on thinking and language tests. A major data release is scheduled for early 2019 … Teenagers now spend an average of 4 1/2 hours a day on their mobile phones, “60 Minutes” reported.” The Study: ABCD study completes enrollment, announces opportunities for scientific engagement (National Institutes of Health release): “The National Institutes of Health announced today that enrollment for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is now complete and, in early 2019, scientists will have access to baseline data from all ABCD Study participants. There are 11,874 youth, ages 9–10, participating in the study, including 2,100 young people wh...
Source: SharpBrains - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness Technology Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development adolescents brain-scans digital devices Mental-Health neuroimaging NIH screen time smartphones Source Type: blogs