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The number of people who read books for fun seems to be steadily decreasing. 50% of UK adults say they do not read regularly (up from 42% in 2015), and almost one in four 16-24 year olds say they have never read a book. Research from The Reading Agency.
But what does that mean? Will people’s preference for video over text affect our brains or our evolution as a species? What kind of brain structure do good readers really have? my new researchPublished in NeuroImage, it has been revealed.
I analyzed open source data from over 1,000 participants and found that readers of different abilities have distinct characteristics in their brain anatomy.
The structure of two areas of the left hemisphere important for language was different in people who were good readers.
One was the front part of the temporal lobe. The left temporal pole helps us connect and categorize different types of meaningful information. To combine the meaning of words such as legThis brain region associates visual, sensory, and motor information. conveys the look, feel, and movement of the legs.
The other is Heschl’s gyrus, a fold in the superior temporal lobe that hosts the auditory cortex (the cortex is the outermost layer of the brain). Better reading ability is associated with a larger anterior temporal lobe in the left hemisphere compared to the right. It makes sense that having a larger brain area dedicated to meaning makes it easier to understand and read words.
What may seem less intuitive is that the auditory cortex is involved in reading. Isn’t reading primarily a visual skill? silks. To pair letters with speech sounds, you must first know the sounds of the language. this phonological awareness Is Well-established pioneer For children’s reading development
A thinner left Heschl’s gyrus has previously been linked to dyslexia. involves severe reading difficulties. My research shows that these changes in cortical thickness do not simply draw a dividing line between people with and without dyslexia. Instead, across larger populations, thicker auditory cortex is associated with more proficient reading.
Why Size Matters
Is thicker always better? This is not necessarily the case when it comes to cortical structures. We know that most people have more myelin in the left hemisphere of the auditory cortex. Myelin is a fatty substance that acts as an insulator for nerve fibers. This can speed up neural communication and even insulate brain cell columns from each other. nerve column believed to function With a small processing unit.
The increased isolation and rapid communication of the left hemisphere may be thought to enable the rapid, categorical processing required for language. You need to know if the speaker uses that category. d or tea When speaking to or teardrop Rather than detecting the exact point at which the vocal cords begin to vibrate.
