Scientists at UCLA have found that middle-aged and older Internet newbies actually experienced altered brain activity patterns after a week of daily Internet search sessions.

The first scan of participants with little Internet experience demonstrated brain activity in regions controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities, which are located in the frontal, temporal, parietal, visual and posterior cingulate regions,researchers said. The second brain scan of these participants, conducted after the practice Internet searches at home, demonstrated activation of these same regions, as well as triggering of the middle frontal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus—areas of the brain known to be important in working memory and decision-making.

The study suggests that searching online may someday be used as a "brain exercise" for older adults, and the researchers say additional studies may explore how Web use has an impact on younger people (stay tuned!). Turns out all this time we spend searching the Internet may actually be good for us. —Dirk Klingner