Writing handwritten notes improves connections between brain regions better than typing on a keyboard. This has been shown by a study published in the journal. Frontiers in Psychology.
Scientists analyzed brain activity data collected using electroencephalogram (EEG) from 36 college students. They were asked to pen or type a word that appeared on the screen several times while measuring their brain activity. They used a digital pen and a touch screen for handwriting and pressed keys with one finger while typing on the keyboard.
Activity in different areas of the brain increased when participants wrote with a pen, but there was no increase when writing. Scientists believe that the visual and motor information received from the senses when using a pen better supports the formation of connections in the brain necessary for learning. Just pressing the keys while typing on the keyboard stimulates the brain less.
“This also explains why children learning to write and read on tablets may have difficulty with letters that are mirror images of each other, such as “B” and “D.” “Scientists literally cannot feel these letters,” he said.
Scientists have concluded that although typing on a keyboard has many benefits (including speed), it is also beneficial to use manuscripts from time to time.
Previous scientists provenThat psychotherapy changes the activity of the cerebral cortex.