Reading in childhood was associated with better memory and attention
Reading for pleasure is associated with better memory and attention development in children, higher levels of psychological well-being in adults, and slower cognitive decline in old age. How reading is related to brain health and whether it can reduce the risk of dementia is in the "Izvestia" article.
How does reading for pleasure differ from compulsory reading
The authors of the publication understand by reading for pleasure a voluntary reference to a text from which a person expects interest or positive emotions. These can be printed and electronic books, magazines, comics, and graphic novels. At the same time, we are not talking about compulsory educational literature and not about texts that a person reads exclusively for work.
This distinction is important because pleasure and self-interest can affect the regularity of reading. A person is more likely to continue reading if they have independently chosen a work, understand it, and are emotionally involved in what is happening.
The authors of the article concluded that different types of research show a similar picture: regular reading is associated with cognitive development, psychological well-being and the possible formation of cognitive reserve.
"Reading is a great way to maintain brain health, develop important cognitive skills, and improve well—being," the publication says.
As specified, this habit should be encouraged from an early age, but you can start reading for pleasure in adulthood or old age.
How early reading is related to children's development
The researchers analyzed information about 10,243 participants in the American Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development project. At the first stage, the children were from nine to 11 years old, then they were re-examined at the age of 11 to 13 years. About half of the participants started reading for pleasure relatively early. These children later performed better in tests of attention, working and episodic memory, impulse control, and other executive functions.
They also had fewer behavioral and inattentive problems, lower rates of stress and depressive symptoms, and better academic results. In addition, early reading was associated with longer sleep duration and less time in front of the screen.
The researchers took into account the gender and age of the children, body mass index, stage of puberty, family composition, parental education, income, and other socio-economic factors. After statistical adjustment, the relationship between reading and more favorable indicators remained. However, the observational nature of the work still does not allow us to unequivocally state that reading was the reason for all the differences.
When analyzing brain scans of children who had previously started reading for pleasure, they found large areas and volumes of some areas of the cortex. The differences affected areas involved in language processing, memory, attention, learning, and emotional regulation.
In particular, they dealt with the temporal, occipital and frontal regions, the angular and supramarginal gyri, the insular cortex, the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex, the thalamus and the parahippocampal region. The structural features of these zones were associated with higher cognitive test scores.
However, it cannot be concluded that books mechanically enlarge certain areas of the brain. Perhaps children with initially more developed language skills are more likely to show interest in reading. The home environment, parental help, access to books, and other lifestyle features can also have an impact.
Can reading improve academic performance
The most obvious link is between reading and literacy. Children who read regularly and enjoy it tend to understand texts better, have a wider vocabulary, and show better results when testing reading skills.
In the British study of 2024, children and teenagers who enjoyed reading scored an average of 109.13 points on the STAR Reading test. Among those who did not enjoy reading, the average score was 102.65 points. Among the participants who read daily, it reached 109.49 points against 103.35 points for those who did not read every day.
The authors of the review also pointed out the connection between reading and mathematical abilities. These activities partially rely on the same processes, including working memory, executive functions, sequence recognition, and language comprehension.
Language proficiency becomes especially important when solving text problems, working with the verbal representation of numbers, and extracting arithmetic facts from memory. However, this does not mean that reading fiction books can replace studying mathematics. Rather, developed language and cognitive skills can make it easier to understand the condition and choose a solution.
One of the long-term studies, which included 554 children, lasted 12 years. Higher reading skills were associated with further improvements in math scores, especially in children who initially performed worse than their peers. At the same time, the connection could be two-way: shared cognitive abilities helped to simultaneously develop both reading and mathematical skills.
Why is interest in books more important than format?
Experts believe that in order to form a stable habit, a child does not have to start with classic novels or complex literature. Comics, graphic novels, fan fiction, magazines, or books related to your favorite game, movie, or TV series can be used as a first step.
The National Literature Trust survey showed that 38.1% of children and teenagers were ready to read materials related to their favorite movie or TV series. Another 37.1% were interested in texts corresponding to their hobbies, and 26.6% of participants considered it important to be able to choose their own works.
Even among children who didn't like reading, almost half admitted that reading helps them learn new things and expand their vocabulary.
"It's important to find something that the child will really be interested in. It can be a text about a TV program or a game. Comics and graphic novels can also be a good place to start," explained researcher Kristel Langley.
However, the available data does not allow us to assert that all reading formats have the same effect on the brain. Most studies assessed the fact of regular reading or the level of familiarity with printed materials, rather than comparing fiction, news, comics, and e-books with each other.
How Reading is related to Stress and Empathy
A survey of 4,164 adults showed that many respondents perceive reading as a way to relax and take their mind off stress. 38% of the participants named books as their preferred way to relieve stress. Among people who read for at least 30 minutes a week, 64% reported that books help them better understand the feelings of others. Among the respondents who did not read, 48% answered this way. Half of the readers also stated that they had become more tolerant of other people's beliefs.
These data are based on participants' self-assessment and do not prove the direct impact of books on their emotional state. People who already like to read and tend to rate this habit positively are more active in such surveys. They may differ from non-reading respondents in their level of education, lifestyle, and social environment.
More objective data were obtained in studies using functional MRI. For example, in an experiment involving 26 young adults, scientists studied brain activity while reading literary passages. Different fragments of the text involved separate parts of the network of the passive mode of the brain, related, among other things, to understanding the thoughts and intentions of other people.
Socially intense and abstract episodes activated the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex network more strongly. Participants who read fiction more often also performed better on social cognition tasks. However, the small sample and correlational design of the study do not allow us to consider fiction as a proven way to develop empathy.
What changes occur in the brain?
A meta-analysis of 40 functional MRI studies has shown that when children and adults read, basically a similar system of areas is activated. It includes the left occipitotemporal cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the posterior parietal zones involved in visual word recognition, language processing, and attention management.
As we get older and gain experience, the work of this system becomes more specialized. In children, areas related to speech sound processing and skill formation are more involved, while in adults, the role of zones providing rapid recognition of written words increases.
Reading skills are also related to the state of white matter, bundles of nerve fibers that transmit signals between brain regions. Children with higher reading scores showed more organized connections in the pathways involved in language processing and hemispheric interaction.
Some data also point to the possibility of structural changes after learning. In a small study of 11 children with dyslexia, an eight-week program that included mental imagery, articulation, and tracing letters and words improved reading skills. At the same time, the participants' gray matter volume increased in several areas, including the hippocampus and fusiform gyrus.
Can reading reduce the risk of dementia
Long-term observations show that intellectually stimulating activities are associated with slower deterioration of memory and other cognitive functions in old age. Reading can contribute to the formation of cognitive reserve — the brain's ability to compensate for age-related or pathological changes for longer.
In a study of 5,437 people over the age of 55, participants who frequently read, played chess, and engaged in other intellectual activities were less likely to experience cognitive impairment during the five years of follow-up. Other work covered 801 people over the age of 65. The participants were followed for an average of 4.5 years. More active participation in intellectually stimulating activities, including reading books, magazines, and newspapers, was associated with a 33% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Another study included 1,962 people over the age of 64 who were followed for 14 years. Participants who read at least once a week were less likely to experience cognitive decline. The connection was maintained at different levels of education. At the same time, the figures of 33% and 35% cannot be understood as a guaranteed reduction in individual risk. The studies evaluated statistical relationships within specific groups, rather than the effect of reading as a drug.
People who remain interested in books in old age may initially have a higher cognitive reserve, communicate more often, eat better, move more, and monitor their health. The reverse causation is also possible: early memory and attention disorders can reduce the desire and ability to read even before diagnosis.
How much should I read
To date, scientists have not established a universal reading duration that is guaranteed to improve memory or reduce the risk of dementia. Different studies used different criteria, ranging from 30 minutes per week to reading at least once a week.
Therefore, statements that a few minutes with a book provide a strictly defined reduction in stress levels should be taken with caution. The result may depend on the work, the reader's interest, the initial voltage level, the experimental conditions, and the measurement method.
The authors of the review consider the main thing not to comply with a strict norm, but to be regular and self-interested. If complex works cause irritation and make you stop reading, a more accessible book, magazine, or graphic novel may be more useful.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
