ReviewAnnals of neurosciences2026
Virtual Dementia in the Digital Age: Neurocognitive Mechanisms, Behavioural Impact and Public Health Implications of Technology Overuse.
Review in Annals of neurosciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Digital technology has rapidly transformed how people communicate, learn, and perform professional activities. While technological advancements have improved access to information, productivity, and global connectivity, excessive reliance on digital devices has raised concerns regarding cognitive and behavioral health. Emerging evidence suggests that prolonged screen exposure, constant multitasking, and dependence on digital aids may contribute to cognitive symptoms resembling dementia, including impaired attention, memory difficulties, reduced problem-solving ability, and emotional disengagement. This phenomenon, often described as "virtual dementia" or "digital dementia," has become an area of growing scientific and public health interest. Summary: Current evidence indicates that excessive digital technology use may alter neural circuits involved in cognition, particularly within the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and the Default Mode Network. These changes may manifest as digital amnesia, attentional fragmentation, mental fatigue, reduced social engagement, and emotional blunting. Adolescents and young adults appear especially vulnerable due to ongoing neurodevelopment, although many of these changes may be reversible with behavioral modification. Unlike neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, virtual dementia is characterized by lifestyle-associated and potentially reversible cognitive dysfunction. At the same time, digital technologies also show therapeutic potential in cognitive monitoring, rehabilitation, and preventive interventions, highlighting their dual role in brain health. Key Message: Virtual dementia represents a potentially reversible form of technology-associated cognitive impairment driven by maladaptive digital behaviours. Promoting digital hygiene, mindful technology use, cognitive training, and responsible technology policies may help protect cognitive health. Future longitudinal and mechanistic studies are needed to establish diagnostic criteria, clarify long-term neurological effects, and develop evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.