Just as drugs temporarily change brain functioning, so does reading. But reading changes our brain in positive ways.
A group of Stanford neurobiologists, led by Michigan State's Natalie Phillips, put a slew of subjects into MRI machines and told them to read passages from Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park.
Naturally (and validating what book lovers everywhere already know), the researchers found that blood flow increased as the study participants read. It didn't matter whether the participants were reading leisurely or critically, blood flow increased beyond "just work and play." Reading, once again going above and beyond for its devotees. Blood flow really amped up when people read critically, reaching levels and areas used for problem-solving.
Brain activity ramped up across the whole brain, backing up assertions that have been made for thousands of years (the Ancient Romans knew a good deal about the topic) that study of the liberal arts has important benefits for the cognitive abilities of an individual.
While it is always nice to have scientific research to reference back to, this should not be new news. The kids walking around their house bumping into walls because they can't be bothered to look up from the book they are reading, the kids who get in trouble at school because they have unsuccessfully hidden their book inside a larger textbook, the kids who miss their bus stop at the end of the day because they are too absorbed in the world created by the pages they are reading...these are always the kids that grow into successful, logical, well-rounded adults.
Here are a couple of links with snippets about the study findings:
www.insidehighered.com/audio/2013/05/03/brain-and-reading
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/14/reading-good-for-brain-_n_1884054.html
Immediate takeaway? We can all justify reading during our finals--it will help overall brain functioning and problem-solving abilities.
