“Epoch Times, December 12, 2024”
People often say, “reading is beneficial.” Besides acquiring knowledge, relieving stress, and improving mental health, reading can also strengthen brain function. Research shows that people who are good at reading have different brain structures. Unfortunately, in today’s society, the number of people who enjoy reading is decreasing.
Mikael Roll, a phonetics professor at Lund University in Sweden, wrote on The Conversation website that the number of people who read for pleasure seems to be continuing to decline.
A study by the Reading Agency in the UK revealed that half of British adults say they do not read regularly. Nearly a quarter of young people aged 16 to 24 say they have never read.
What does this mean? After analyzing data from over 1,000 participants, Roll found that readers of different abilities have different anatomical features in the brain. For proficient readers, the structures of two crucial areas for language in the left hemisphere of the brain are different.
One area is the anterior portion of the temporal lobe. The left temporal lobe helps process and categorize different types of meaningful information. For example, in order to comprehend the meaning of the word “leg,” this area links visual, sensory, and motor information to express the appearance, sensation, and movement of legs.
The other area is the Heschl’s gyrus, which is a fold above the temporal lobe containing the auditory cortex. Compared to the right hemisphere of the brain, individuals with a larger anterior left temporal lobe tend to have better reading abilities.
Intuitively, people may not understand how the auditory cortex is related to reading. However, reading is not just a visual ability; it is also related to understanding the pronunciation of language. A thinner Heschl’s gyrus in the left hemisphere of the brain may lead to dyslexia.
Roll noted that the cortical structure of the brain is not necessarily better with more thickness. Most individuals have more myelin in the auditory cortex of the left hemisphere. This fatty substance forms a protective layer around brain nerves, ensuring effective message transmission.
The abundance of myelin compresses the cortical regions of the left hemisphere, making them flatter but more elongated. Therefore, even though the auditory cortex of proficient readers in the left hemisphere may be thicker, it is still thinner than that of the right hemisphere.
Roll stated that phonology is a highly complex skill involving integrating different sounds and motor features into speech. It appears to be related to the thicker cortex near the Heschl’s gyrus in the left hemisphere of the brain.
It is currently unclear to what extent the Heschl’s gyrus processes phonology, but phonologists typically have multiple left Heschl’s gyri, indicating its association with speech.
The brain structure clearly provides a lot of information about reading skills. However, it is essential to remember that the brain is malleable – when we learn a new skill or practice one we have already mastered, it changes.
For instance, young people who focus on language learning can increase the cortical thickness of the brain’s language areas. Similarly, reading may also shape the structure of the left Heschl’s gyrus and the temporal pole.
So, if you want to thicken and strengthen your Heschl’s gyrus, pick up a good book and start reading.
In conclusion, Roll commented, what would happen if skills like reading became less important for humans? Our ability to explain the world around us and understand the thoughts of others would surely weaken.
In other words, sitting in an armchair reading a book is not only beneficial for the individual but also beneficial for all humanity.