The brain of those who read works better

We read very little, and this is nothing new: nearly 61 percent of Italians don't even touch a book for an entire year. And we're unaware that among the wasteful activities of those who read infrequently, there's something that affects the quality and health of the brain , starting in childhood . Research conducted at the University of Pittsburgh has discovered that the brains of children who read a lot are very different from those of children who read little.

In particular, the areas of verbal communication are more developed. This means that children, reading from an early age, express themselves better, have better command of language, and are more capable of clearly expressing what they feel and want. And with this, they are certainly better equipped for human relationships, but also to more effectively tackle academic and professional challenges. Scientists also explain the significant improvements in the brains of children who read by the fact that up to about age twenty, our brains are highly plastic and ductile, and therefore better able to absorb the benefits of reading . In the past, an American scientist, Gregory Bens, had demonstrated that reading novels increases the connections between neurons, thus improving synapses and increasing gray matter.

It's no coincidence that reading, from newspapers to books to crossword puzzles, is recommended to older people with neurological problems. And according to the American scientist, when we read a book in which one of the characters performs a specific activity, such as running, the same neurons activate in our heads that would if we were performing that action ourselves. This means that reading a novel can truly transport you into the protagonist's body, and it's not just a question of a writer's narrative skill, but something that happens on a biological level.

The brain of those who read works better

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