Reading stands out as a truly valuable skill, empowering individuals to gain new knowledge, pursue education, and tackle a wide array of real-world tasks. Numerous studies in psychology and neuroscience have aimed to deepen our understanding of the neural foundations of reading and the complex ways our brains make sense of written texts.
Recently, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences took a close look at many of these prior studies to clarify the overall patterns of brain activity linked to reading. Their findings, published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, present a comprehensive overview of the brain regions and processes engaged in different types of reading.
"Literacy is fundamental for social connections, education, and employment, and it significantly impacts well-being and mental health," wrote Sabrina Turker, Beatrice Fumagalli, and their co-authors in their paper.
The researchers also noted, "We observed highly specific processing for reading letters, words, sentences, and texts uniquely in areas of the left side of the brain."
By examining existing research, the scientists identified brain areas that are generally active during reading, as well as regions that specifically contribute to processing individual letters, words, made-up words, and complete texts. Notably, they discovered that reading letters activated only a single cluster of nerve cells in the left occipital cortex (OTC), while reading words, sentences, and entire texts also engaged several other brain regions.
Furthermore, Turker, Fumagalli, and their colleagues identified differences in brain activity when people read aloud (overt reading) compared to reading silently in their minds (covert reading). For example, they found that reading aloud often activated brain regions associated with movement and the processing of sounds.
The outcomes of this research review offer a broad understanding of the neural networks involved in various forms of reading. This understanding could guide future investigations into the specific roles these networks play.
Picture: A 3D visualization of a human brain with colorful lights showing activity as a person reads (Gemini)
