The more complex and strange sentences you read, the more active your brain’s language network becomes.
Entered 2024.01.06 13:40 Views 87 Entered 2024.01.06 13:40 Modified 2024.01.06 13:49 Views 87
Sentences with unusual grammar or unexpected meaning were found to activate the brain’s language processing centers more than straightforward or meaningless sentences. [사진=게티이미지뱅크]Reading newspapers or books is a good way to prevent dementia. However, research has shown that the more complex and unfamiliar sentences are read, the greater the prevention effect.
A study published in the journal Nature Human Behavior found that sentences with unusual grammar or unexpected meaning activated the brain’s language processing centers more than sentences that were straightforward or meaningless.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used artificial intelligence to test how complex sentences compared to simple sentences affected the brain’s language centers.
The researchers compiled 1,000 sentences from a variety of sources, including novels, colloquial speech, web texts, and scientific articles, and had five participants read them. While the participants read, the researchers measured their language network activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
The results of the experiment showed that complex sentences elicit stronger responses in the brain than simple sentences, and the brain works harder to understand them. These results are consistent with recent research showing that engaging in high-intensity activities, such as learning a new language or reading a newspaper, can reduce the risk of dementia by strengthening brain pathways.
The researchers went one step further and identified a specific set of sentences that had this effect. “When the brain encounters a sentence with a familiar word or structure, it doesn’t have to work very hard to understand it,” said Evelina Fedorenko, Ph.D., associate professor of neuroscience at MIT. However, when encountering a sentence that uses unfamiliar language or structure, the brain has to make more effort to understand it,” he said. “We found that the sentences that elicited the highest brain response had strange grammar or strange meaning.”
Prior to this study, a British study of 282,000 people aged 40 to 69 found that people who took educational classes, such as learning a new language, for seven years had a 19% lower risk of developing dementia. Additionally, a study by University College London found that women who read newspapers regularly had a 35% lower risk of dementia compared to women who did not read newspapers.
Reporter Park Joo-hyeon
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2024-01-06 04:40:17
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