read books It not only develops the imagination, but also activates multiple neural networks responsible for memory, language and emotions, generating cognitive and emotional benefits.
Each word we read activates neural circuits associated with vision, memory, emotions and language. This constant brain activity strengthens concentration and the ability to empathize.creating sustained mental training.
Unlike other leisure activities, Reading requires analysis and reflection. During the process, the brain releases dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, neurotransmitters linked to pleasure, well-being and social connection. Furthermore, the habitual practice of reading stimulates neuroplasticity and can delay cognitive decline.
The neurologist Cruz Linazasoro, specialist at Policlínica Gipuzkoa, explains that enjoying a book activates reward circuits in the brain: “But serotonin and endorphins are also released, which are associated with calm and well-being; and oxytocin, which leads us to empathize with the actors and the situations we are seeing or reading. If the topic of the book generates discomfort (injustice, violence, etc.), fear, or disgust, the release of corticosteroids and adrenaline predominates.”
Linazasoro adds that the type of book influences the activation of neural networks: a historical drama and an intrigue story mobilize different circuits. “In a word, depending on the emotion that is triggered, different nuclei are activated, many of them located in the limbic circuit (amygdala, insula, etc.). This is the most immediate and striking component, but in reality “The sight of reading a book activates practically the entire brain.”he states.
Repetition of reading activates brain areas involved in memory and retrieval of memories, especially those with emotional content. Besidesthe brain anticipates future events in the narrative and can perceive details that went unnoticed on the first reading.
“Many of them have high emotional content. Likewise, as the brain is a prediction machinehe anticipates what is going to happen. Scenes or paragraphs that went unnoticed are also detected, or that now acquire different nuances and that surprise and provoke a revision of the plot, or simply help to understand something that was not clear on the first occasion,” continues Dr. Linazasoro.
Regular reading enhances the ability to concentrate and stimulates the imagination. “Reading stimulates both capacities. In addition to its function of entertainment and stimulating the imagination, reading is a vehicle for acquiring information and knowledge, and an antidote to cognitive deterioration. Obviously, the content and its literary quality and richness determine success in achieving this objective,” says Linazasoro.
Among the neurological benefits noted, the specialist indicates that illiteracy is associated with a greater risk of dementia. Likewise, he emphasizes that reading should be part of a balanced lifestyle, that includes physical exercise, social interaction, control of blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol, balanced diet and adequate sleep, to maximize its positive effects on the brain.
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