Type of Information Medium vs. Level of Reading Comprehension in Adults

<ns3:p>The study was designed to test the effect of the type of text medium on comprehension reading performance and its neural mechanisms. A reading comprehension test (paper/electronic) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were used. A total of 147 adults were studied, 44 of whom qualified for neural analyses. The results of the behavioral tests showed no significant differences in reading comprehension performance between those who read the paper version and the computer version. Despite the lack of behavioral differences, the groups differed in terms of the neural mechanisms activated during the task. Brain activation during reading and test solving was compared between the above groups. Areas involved in controlling visuomotor and visuospatial attention were activated during solving the paper test. All were localized in the left hemisphere, which has a leading role in analytical tasks. Among those reading from an electronic medium, differences were evident in the activation of areas involved in focusing attention (during reading) and controlling visual processing (during test completion). These areas were located exclusively in the right hemisphere, which has a leading role in visual processing. The results obtained can be used in planning training for adults and ways to plan informative texts.</ns3:p>