Reading on a smartphone affects sigh generation, brain activity, and comprehension.

ABSTRACT: Electronic devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, while their negative aspects have been reported. One disadvantage is that reading comprehension is reduced when reading from an electronic device; the cause of this deficit in performance is unclear. In this study, we investigated the cause for comprehension decline when reading on a smartphone by simultaneously measuring respiration and brain activity during reading in 34 healthy individuals. We found that, compared to reading on a paper medium, reading on a smartphone elicits fewer sighs, promotes brain overactivity in the prefrontal cortex, and results in reduced comprehension. Furthermore, reading on a smartphone affected sigh frequency but not normal breathing, suggesting that normal breathing and sigh generation

SUBMITTER: Honma M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8803971 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature