What is a cyberliterate brain?

The cyberliterate brain is one that has been affected by the prevalence and use of technology such as computers, tablets, and smart phones. All brains have the ability to change and grow depending upon the stimulus in an individual's environment. This is because of the brain's neuroplasticity. When a person learns a new skill, their brain structures changes. 

For example, in the 2006 study "Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Brain Structure Changes during Extensive Learning," Draganski, et al. studied medical students in the months prior to and immediately after an important medical exam. The team performed brain scans on the medical students versus students who were not preparing for an exam and had not taken any major exams in the last 6 months. The initial brain scan showed no significant regional differences between the two groups, but later scans showed that the medical students who were preparing for an exam had significant increases of gray matter in their posterior parietal cortex and inferior parietal cortex; these parts of the brain are associated with the transference of information from short-term to long-term. The first two scans also showed a decrease in gray matter, but an increase in white matter, in the occipital parietal lobes of the students who were preparing for exams. The group of students who did not have exams to prepare for showed no significant changes in gray matter. 

The Draganski et al. study suggests that the structure of the brain can change depending upon what (and how intensely) an individual is learning. Although this study does not speak to the impact of technology on the brain, it does provide a clear example of how the repetition of an activity can change the brain. The parts of the brain that were key in retaining the information that the students were studying grew, while other areas converted gray matter to white matter. The students' brain structures noticeably changed to adapt to the intense amount of studying they were doing and the stress they were enduring.

This photo, taken from the 2006 Draganksi, et al. study, illustrates the gray matter increase that occurred in the students studying for the exam. A larger version and a more in-depth explanation can be found here.

 If our brains are affected by our environments, what type of effect could technology be having on our brains? This is what I hope to address in the rest of this blog.