GPS addict? It may be eroding your brain
When it comes to spatial memory, it could be a case of 'use it or lose it,' say researchers
Jean Snyder says she isn't afraid of spiders, snakes or even dentists. But she is scared of one little thing: a GPS breakdown.

Snyder's 2005 Honda Odyssey is equipped with GPS, and for the last five years, Snyder hasn't looked at a map, noticed landmarks or even tried new routes to get from point A to point B. Instead, she relies on the disembodied voice of "Jackie," her GPS, to guide her.

"When it comes to finding my way, I've become a GPS zombie," says Snyder, a 47-year-old office manager in Highland Heights, Ohio."I'm sure I'm not doing my brain any favors."


Snyder might be on to something. Three studies by McGill University researchers presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience on Sunday show that the way we navigate the world today may indeed affect just how well our brains function as we age — particularly the hippocampus, which is linked to memory.

Health highlights GPS addict? It may be eroding your brain
Three studies by McGill University researchers presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience on Sunday show that the way we navigate the world today may indeed affect just how well our brains function as we age.
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Navigating by landmark or on auto-pilot
Generally, to find our way, we rely on one of two strategies: The first is a so-called spatial navigation strategy, in which we build cognitive maps using things like landmarks as visual cues that not only help us determine where we are at a given point in space, but also help us plan where we need to go.

Or, we navigate by using a stimulus-response strategy, a kind of auto-pilot mode in which we turn left and right because, after some repetition, that's the most efficient way to get from A to B. If you have GPS, that uber-strategy of stimulus-response may seem quite familiar.

Those in the study who navigated spatially (the non-GPS users) were shown on fMRI images to have increased activity in the hippocampus, an area of the brain believed to be involved in memory and navigation and play a role in finding shortcuts and new routes.

According to the McGill researchers, their findings suggest that the aging process involves a shift in navigational strategies. Healthy young adults tend to spontaneously use a spatial approach when navigating a virtual maze, the McGill researchers found in their studies. But most older adults used a response strategy.

That shift may lead to atrophy of the hippocampus, a risk factor for cognitive problems in normal aging and in Alzheimer's disease, explains neuroscientist Veronique Bohbot, associate professor of psychiatry at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McGill University. The hippocampus is one of the first brain areas to be affected by Alzheimer's disease, causing problems with memory and spatial orientation.

Use it or lose it?
But the researchers also found a greater volume of grey matter in the hippocampus of older adults who used spatial strategies. And these adults scored higher on a standardized cognition test used to help diagnose mild cognitive impairment, which is often a precursor to Alzheimer's disease. These findings suggest that using spatial memory may increase the function of the hippocampus and increase our quality of life as we age, says Bohbot. More simply: it could be a case of use it or lose it.

Most popular With Diana’s ring, William and Kate are engaged Rangel found guilty of violating 11 House rules A medal's burden, a soldier's sacrifice Prince William, fiancee address press following engagement Prince William, Kate Middleton engaged! A royal couple’s long courtship Although the studies compare different groups of people and don't show causality, the findings are "plausible," explains Russell Epstein, associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience.

For example, research at the University of London showed that part of the hippocampus of London taxi cab drivers is actually larger than that of a non-taxi driver control group. Despite the most experienced drivers having the most robust hippocampus, it's still not known whether finding those novel routes through London's Byzantine maze of streets caused the hippocampus to grow, or if having a robust hippocampus helps a person become a successful cab driver, explains Epstein.

Nonetheless, exercising your own hippocampus may not be a bad idea. "There is something to be said about intellectual enrichment, having some type of reserve that may be able to lessen the impact of cognitive decline," explains Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital pediatric neurologist Dr. Max Wiznitzer, who actually prefers finding his own way sans GPS when traveling to new places.

The take-away message isn't to rip your GPS from the dashboard. Rather be smart about it, says Bohbot, noting that building cognitive maps takes “time and effort.” Her suggestion is to use GPS to get to a new destination, but to turn it off on the way back or when going to familiar locations. You might even try to draw your own map from a "birds-eye view" perspective.

"We live in a society that's so fast paced that it encourages us to feel bad if we get lost," says Bohbot, fearing that reduced use of spatial strategies may lead to earlier onset of dementia. "What I say to people is that we can use GPS to explore the environment, but don't become dependent on it. (Developing) a cognitive map may take longer, but it’s worth the investment.”

an area of the brain believed

It was found that the total volume of the hippocampus remained constant, from the control group vs. taxi drivers. That is to say that the posterior portion of a taxi driver's hippocampus is indeed increased, but at the expense of the anterior portion. There have been no known detrimental effects reported from this disparity in hippocampal proportions.

Yeah, that fascinated me when you brought it up a couple months ago, Stathol. Really awesome stuff there. Definitely supports the "use it or lose it" that the article postulates, too.

Which is why I can't be bothered to finish that article. They don't even **** know and they are trying to say **** that isn't even proven.

That's just arguing semantics, though. Your brain would still have the ability to get good at spatial tasks again, but that doesn't contradict the "use it or lose it" idea. This is likely especially true on a practical level, since those who have 'lost it' would be even more likely to use a GPS.

I don't use GPS either except for military ones, and those don't talk to you or "guide" you the way civilian ones do; they give you a direction and distance from one grid coordinate to another (they do more, but there's nothing that "talks you there".)

Regardless of all the neuroscience, people should learn to do stuff manually before they start usign the gadget to do it for them.

What if the damn thing breaks, or if you can't go that way because the road is closed?

It has been shown that exercising the brain strengthens it. To those ends I don't store phone numbers in my cell phone, nor do I own a GPS.

I think that being awake exercises the brain.

Being good at using maps is an obscure skill for most people nowadays. I don't see any stronger imperative for this than to be good at Starcraft, for example. The "use it or lose it" argument is weak since most important skills are used often. If you don't practice cursive writing then you'll lose the ability... but what's the big deal? Who is ever going to use a map again? I certainly won't. If I lose my GPS, I'll buy a new one. I'm not going to practice my map-finding skills so that 10 years from now I won't get lost during the 20 minute commute to the electronics store. Stores will always sell GPS devices... and if they don't, I'd likely starve to death before it mattered. (edit: Or they will be installed in every future vehicle)

The article has some odd angle that your brain is in better shape if you practice driving without a GPS, almost analogous to weight-training. It's a poor argument in my opinion.

I use my GPS when I leave town, because it is much more convenient than trying to read a map while driving. I do not use a GPS when I need to go someplace unfamiliar around here. Mapquest is the best and I like being familiar with the area instead of relying on the GPS and not paying true attention on how to get there.

It depends on what part of the brain you are trying to exercise.

Yeah, that fascinated me when you brought it up a couple months ago, Stathol.

If only someone had posed these questions earlier. Perhaps 53 years ago.

If the yardstick that we measure mental strength is the ability to do multiplication in your head, read a map or memorize phone numbers, then I believe that we are in grave trouble as a society.

There are a myriad of ways to exercise the mind, some how holding mundane tasks up as the gold standard seems to setting our standards low.

I suspect you have missed the point of the story.

The entire brain is functioning at all times. It's always exercising. There's always inputs from all 5 senses. If by "strengthened" you mean "better trained for a particular task", then you would be correct.