Handwriting Boosts Brain Connectivity More Than Typing Research Shows

In a world where technology has become dominant in multiple fields, convenient and straightforward solutions have made life and learning easier. But are there other, not so positive implications of using technology when it comes to how our brain works?

Check out this study exploring the differences between handwriting and typewriting on a keyboard when it comes to how the various brain regions interconnect.

Key Takeaways

• Writing by hand is associated with more complex connections between brain regions compared to typewriting on a keyboard
• Fine movements implicated in handwriting seem to be more conducive to learning

Writing by Hand Fosters Elaborate Brain Connections 

Digital devices are present in countless areas of our lives. With more and better features made possible on a constant basis, even basic activities such as how we read and write are impacted by the growing power of technology. But the implications for the human brain of choosing digital solutions all the time are still being explored.

Using a keyboard instead of writing by hand is nowadays standard practice at work, but this has also been the trend in the classroom. Whereas using a digital device has been recommended to lessen frustration of young children, learning how to handwrite has been linked to better spelling and memory. Such benefits seem to be independent of using a traditional pen versus a digital pen.

Research has shown that the brain works in very dynamic ways and that it establishes different circuits to respond to different tasks. Such a flexible organization, wherein neural circuits are only temporary and the same neuron can change function, has been referred to as functional connectivity.

Research has shown that the brain works in very dynamic ways and that it establishes different circuits to respond to different tasks.

One way to study how brain connections form and change is looking at brain electrical activity with electroencephalography (EEG). A previous study used EEG to show that drawing by hand causes more activity and involves larger areas in the brain as opposed to typing on a keyboard. The authors concluded that the fine and more diverse movements needed for taking notes by hand may be better for learning than the sole type of movement one makes when pressing a keyboard to type.

Drawing by hand causes more activity and involves larger areas in the brain as opposed to typing on a keyboard.

The same researchers now used EEG to look at the connections made between brain regions to further clarify the neurobiological underpinnings that make cursive writing different from typewriting as to their effects on the young adult brain. Also, they intended to determine whether the more elaborate connectivity in the brain that comes with handwriting is actually due to the act of forming the letters by hand itself.

For that purpose, they conducted a study in university students in their early 20s. Data from 36 participants, all right-handed, were used in the analysis. Specifically, the participants were shown words on a screen and were required to write them by hand using a digital pen or type them on the keyboard. They could write or type them multiple times in each trial. Brain electrical activity was recorded with EEG from the students’ scalp.

Results showed particularly striking differences between writing and typing in central brain regions and in areas located in the parietal lobe, a major sensory processing hub of the brain. Collectively, these brain areas have been linked to processes involved in attention and in making sense of visual information.

Results showed particularly striking differences between writing and typing in central brain regions and in areas located in the parietal lobe, a major sensory processing hub of the brain.

Differences in brain connections were primarily seen in two specific ranges of electrical activity named theta and alpha. Whereas connectivity in the alpha band is seen as task-specific and to correspond to long-term memory, the investigators noted, the theta band has been related to working memory (temporarily holding a limited amount of information for planning and problem-solving) and to the ability to grasp new information.

Altogether, the analysis showed stronger brain connectivity when writing than when typing, which according to the scientists suggests different cognitive processes implicated in the two tasks and enhanced learning with handwriting.

Having in mind that handwriting is slower and requires more attention than typing on a keyboard, the findings further indicate that handwriting as a learning strategy stimulates a larger area of the brain and promotes the formation of a more complex neural network. Also, the fine movements needed for handwriting, in contrast to the repetitive task that is typing on a keyboard, integrates multiple kinds of information from eyesight, motor control, and awareness of body positioning in space.

Handwriting stimulates a larger area of the brain and promotes the formation of a more complex neural network vs. typing.

Looking forward, the findings add to those of other studies in questioning whether it’s a good idea to substitute handwriting for typewriting in the classroom. The benefit of handwriting movements on the brain’s connectivity, as suggested by this study, seem to be more advantageous for learning and memory than using keyboards.

However, the authors do not advocate for keeping digital devices completely out of educational settings. Children, they say, should learn how to write by hand but also be able to use a keyboard. Overall, knowing when to write or type is key for efficient learning and healthy brain development.

Referenced study: 

Van Der Weel, FR, Van der Meer, ALH: Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: a high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom. Front Psychol 2024, 14:1219945. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023

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