Proficient readers have “distinct features of brain anatomy” that others lack. This is according to phonetician Mikael Roll, who also urges Swedes to train their brains by reading more books.

– Better reading ability is linked to a larger anterior part of the temporal lobe in the left hemisphere compared to the right, which makes it easier to understand words and thus to read, he explains.

Data from Statistics Sweden (SCB) shows that the number of Swedes who read for pleasure is steadily declining – last year, one in two men said they read no books at all in their spare time. In 2008 to 2009, 40% of the population over the age of 16 said they read books every week – a proportion that has fallen to 31% in 2021.

Mikael Roll is a researcher in neurolinguistics at the Language and Literature Center at Lund University and has analyzed data from over 1000 participants. He points out that there are two areas in the left hemisphere that are crucial for linguistic abilities, and that the structure of these areas was different in Swedes who were good at reading books.

One region is the anterior temporal lobe, which helps associate and categorize different types of meaningful information.

– To understand the meaning of a word like “leg”, this brain region connects visual, sensory and motor information, he explains.

Need to understand the sounds of language

The second region is called Heschl’s gyrus and is a fold in the upper temporal lobe where the auditory cortex is located.

– Better reading ability is linked to a larger anterior part of the temporal lobe in the left hemisphere compared to the right, making it easier to understand words and thus to read.

– Reading is not just a visual skill. To be able to pair letters with speech sounds, we first need to be aware of the speech sounds, which has long been known in research on children’s reading development, Roll continues.

The brain is malleable

A thinner left Herschl’s gyrus has previously been linked to dyslexia, but Roll also made other findings.

– My research shows that this variation in cortex thickness is not just a difference between people with and without dyslexia. It spans the larger population, where a thicker auditory cortex correlates with more proficient reading.

He believes that an underlying mechanism may be the presence of more overlapping, interacting neurons that process information in a more coherent way but emphasizes that phonology is a complex skill.

– Clearly, the structure of the brain can tell us a lot about reading ability. However, it is important to note that the brain is malleable – it changes as we learn a new skill or practice an already acquired one, he points out.

“Pick up a good book”

Other researchers at Lund University have previously observed that the thickness of the cerebral cortex in language areas actually increased in young adults who studied language intensively, and similarly, reading is likely to shape the structure of the left Heschl’s gyrus and temporal lobe.

– So if you want to keep your Heschls thick and healthy, pick up a good book and start reading, urges Mikael Roll, who is concerned about what happens if reading becomes less and less of a priority.

– Our ability to interpret the world around us and understand the thoughts of others would certainly diminish. In other words, that cozy moment on the couch with a book is not just good for you – but for humanity, he concludes.