Older people who use smartphones ‘have lower rates of cognitive decline’

It is unclear whether the technology staves off mental decline, or whether people with better cognitive skills simply use devices more. Photograph: De Visu/Alamy

Fears that smartphones, tablets and other devices could drive dementia in later life have been challenged by research that found lower rates of cognitive decline in older people who used the technology.

An analysis of published studies that looked at technology use and mental skills in more than 400,000 older adults found that over-50s who routinely used digital devices had lower rates of cognitive decline than those who used them less.