Midlife TV binge may foreshadow later brain changes, USC study finds

A USC-led study of about 1,700 adults found that watching TV very often in midlife is linked to smaller brain regions involved in memory and decision-making and more white-matter damage decades later, independent of overall sitting time. In contrast, long hours of mentally engaging sitting jobs did not show the same pattern, suggesting the content of sedentary time matters. The effects were more pronounced in men. Limitations include self-reported TV viewing and lack of baseline MRI data. Researchers suggest doctors may eventually advise reducing TV time and choosing cognitively engaging activities to protect brain health.