Understanding the intricate workings of the human brain during the learning process has the potential to inform and improve classroom pedagogy, instructional design, and curriculum development. A recent study by Woolnough and colleagues from the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston examined brain structures during reading that provide useful insights into the learning process.

In their study, the researchers conducted recordings of 36 patients’ brains to locate and identify the specific roles and brain area interactions that are involved in the act of reading. Doctors surgically placed electrodes in patients’ brains and measured neural activity while patients read three forms of sentences: regular sentences, sentences using common grammar and syntax but with nonsense words, and lists of words or nonsense words.

The measurements detected two distinct brain networks that are activated when a person reads a sentence, with the two networks cooperating to combine the meanings of individual words and create more complex, deeper meaning. The first network involves the frontal lobe sending signals to the temporal lobe, progressively activating as a person builds up complex meaning as the sentence progresses. The second network moves from the temporal lobe to the frontal lobe, ensuring the sentence’s context is understood and supporting comprehension and processing as the individual reads each subsequent word.

These findings are particularly beneficial in supporting researchers’ understanding of brain functioning in conditions like  dyslexia or aphasia, thus aiding in the development of effective strategies to assist individuals experiencing difficulties in language processing.