Each year, October is the time when the Nobel Prize for Literature is announced. It is indeed that time of the year when literature and reading take precedence. However, numerous global surveys show that fewer and fewer people are reading books today. Contrary to this, science seems to continue to show that reading is just not a pleasurable activity; rather, it is a form of cognitive exercise that can quite literally shape our brains.
“Reading creates new pathways of information processing in your brain… Depending on the type of book you read, it has different kinds of effects,” Grégoire Borst, Full Professor of Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience of Education at Université Paris Descartes, told France 24 English.
In his interview with the French broadcaster, Borst’s insights show how even a mere 10 minutes of reading a day can sharpen our thinking, enhance memory, and even protect against cognitive decline.
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Books build new neural pathways
The professor revealed that reading books can lead to the building of new neural pathways. According to Borst, reading fiction trains our ability to understand other people’s emotions and perspectives. This is what psychologists call the theory of mind.
“It’s intriguing because reading is a solitary activity,” he said, “but its benefits are social. Fiction helps us understand mental states, intentions, and feelings, which are critical for meaningful human interaction.”
On the other hand, reading non-fiction stimulates a different network of skills. “When you read factual books, you expand your knowledge base and strengthen your critical thinking. The more you read, the better equipped you are to question information and analyse the world around you,” Borst said.
Whether one reads novels or biographies, according to the neuroscientist, the key is exposure. “Whichever type you prefer, both bring benefits. And like most things in life, a mix of both is ideal.”
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Talking about reading, Borst said what makes it uniquely powerful is the mental stimulation it triggers. This is because, as we read, we build mental images of characters, scenes, and emotions.
“You imagine interactions between characters and their intentions. This mental exercise mirrors what we do in real life when we try to empathise with others or take their perspective,” noted Borst.
He further explained that this visualisation process strengthens neural circuits related to imagination, empathy, and emotion regulation. In contrast, screen-based or purely factual information rarely activates as deeply in these areas.
Can reading protect against dementia?
Today, numerous reports claim the benefits of reading to protect against dementia. When asked about this, Borst agreed that there is some truth to these reports, but with nuance.
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“Any cognitively engaging activity helps lower the risk of dementia… Reading is especially good because it engages multiple cognitive resources at once – attention, memory, reasoning, and language,” he said.
Borst explained that reading strengthens working memory, the brain system that holds and manipulates information over short periods. “When you read, you have to connect what you saw at the beginning of a page with what appears at the end. Doing these tasks across hundreds of pages trains your working memory,” he said.
“And working memory is one of the strongest predictors of success – in school, at work, and throughout life.” Perhaps the biggest takeaway here is that keeping your brain active matters far more than any single ‘brain game’.
“The more cognitively engaged you are throughout your life, the healthier your brain will be as you age.”
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How much reading is enough?
When attention span is on the decline, the biggest question is how much reading is enough? So, how often should one read to see the benefits? “One book is better than none,” Borst quipped.
However, he admitted that the frequency depends on age and skill level. “For children learning to read, repetition is key. The early stages of reading require a lot of practice before they feel effortless,” he said.
Adults, on the other hand, can benefit from even small, consistent habits. “Ten minutes of reading a day is already useful,” he said. “What matters is that it’s cognitively demanding – something that challenges your focus and imagination, not just scrolling or texting.”
When it comes to children’s development, along with reading, Borst also touched upon the importance of listening. The neuroscientist is of the opinion that listening to stories plays a crucial role in a child’s development.
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“It’s not exactly the same as reading, but it’s essential,” he said, adding that exposure to spoken language helps in building vocabulary. And, according to Borst, this is a critical determinant of reading ability in later stages.
According to Borst, in the brain, reading links visual information to language, and hence, the stronger a child’s language foundation, the better they will become at reading. This is also why children’s love for hearing the same story over and over again is not a bad habit. According to him, this is training their brains to anticipate, decode, and remember linguistic patterns.
Book or smartphone?
Another raging debate in today’s time is the impact of screens such as smartphones, tablets, and even Kindles on reading comprehension. When asked if digital books are as good as paper ones, Borst responded, saying, “Not quite.” According to him, we are a little less efficient when reading on a screen.
“It’s not just a matter of habit. Physical books provide spatial information – you know where you are in the story based on the weight and thickness of the pages.” And this physicality helps with memory formation. “Paragraphs, page numbers, and even where text appears on a page all give cues to your brain,” he said. “They act like mental landmarks that aid recall.” He claims that scrolling or flicking through uniform screens removes that spatial anchor, making it harder to retain details.
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While we are surrounded by all kinds of distractions, Professor Borst encourages us to reclaim reading as a ritual. “We already spend our days reading – text messages, signs, emails. But reading a book is different. It’s deeper, more focused, and more demanding. Those ten quiet minutes a day are like a mental gym session – small, consistent, and transformative.”
In a nutshell, if you feel guilty about picking up a novel instead of your smartphone, just remember that your brain will be grateful. Reading not only expands our imagination, it strengthens the neural foundation of who we are, one page at a time.