What happens in the brain during reading?

Scientists have revealed the secrets of how the brain works during reading: a large-scale study by specialists from the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences analyzed more than 150 scientific papers on the differences between reading aloud and "silently." The results are published in the authoritative journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

The study showed that different reading methods activate different brain regions. When reading aloud, areas responsible for motor skills and auditory perception are actively engaged, while silent reading requires more complex interaction between various cognitive systems.

Scientists discovered that when perceiving individual letters, a small area in the left occipital cortex is activated, while reading whole words and sentences engages much more extensive brain regions — the left temporo-occipital area and the inferior frontal gyrus. Notably, these areas respond differently to real words and meaningless combinations of letters (pseudowords), indicating specialization of their functions.

Researchers studied in detail the difference between explicit (aloud) and implicit (silent) reading. During silent text perception, activity is observed in the orbitofrontal cortex, cerebellum, and temporal cortex, whereas during lexical analysis, both inferior frontal and insular areas are activated.

According to the authors, the obtained results significantly expand our understanding of the mechanisms of written information processing by the brain and may find application in the diagnosis and treatment of various speech and cognitive disorders.