University of Tokyo — ScienceDaily — 19 March 2021
A study of Japanese university students found that writing on physical paper can lead to more brain activity when remembering information an hour later, compared to using a digital tablet or smartphone. Volunteers who used paper completed the note-taking task about 25% faster than those who used digital devices. Brain scans showed paper users had more activity in areas associated with language, imaginary visualization, and the hippocampus — which is important for memory and navigation. “Paper is more advanced and useful compared to electronic documents because paper contains more one-of-a-kind information for stronger memory recall,” said Professor Kuniyoshi Sakai. Published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.