'Satnav' turns off parts of brain: StudyFAIRFAX AUSTRALIA It appears using satnavs effectively switches off parts of the brain that would otherwise be utilised to simulate different routes and boost navigational skills. Scientists studying what satnavs do to the brain have found that people using them effectively switch off parts of the brain that would otherwise be utilised to simulate different routes and boost navigational skills. "When we have technology telling us which way to go ... these parts of the brain simply don't respond to the street network," said Hugo Spiers of University College London's (UCL) department of experimental psychology. READ MORE: Satnav driving blindness discovered"In that sense our brain has switched off its interest in the streets around us." "Understanding how the environment affects our brain is important," said Amir- Homayoun Javadi, who worked on the UCL study before moving to the University of Kent.

Source: Stuff March 21, 2017 17:48 UTC