Going by the findings of a new study undertaken by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Web browsing can give a notable boost to the brain function of older adults, that too within a few days!

The research found that surfing the Net can be a quick way for older adults to preserve their mental skills, and enhance the decision-making and complex reasoning abilities as they age.

For their study, the researchers observed 24 neurologically normal adults between 55 and 78 years of age; half of whom were daily users of the Net, while the other half were practically less adept users.

The researchers brain-scanned the participants as they browsed the Internet, hooked up to an MRI machine; and asked them to practice using the Net at least for an hour everyday. Scans after at-home practice revealed that, within a week or so, new users were catching up with the experienced ones.

Commenting on the findings, the study's co-author Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatry professor at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, said: "We found that for older people with minimal experience, performing Internet searches for even a relatively short period of time can change brain activity patterns and enhance function."

Small further added that Web browsing is an "interactive" process which can teach "an old brain new technology tricks."