What cognitive function covers
Cognitive function is a general term for how well the mind carries out everyday mental tasks: remembering, paying attention, planning, solving problems, finding words and processing new information. In adulthood these abilities are used constantly, often without notice, whether you are following a recipe, keeping appointments in mind or reading a contract.
Many adults wonder whether certain habits can help them stay mentally sharp as they age. Reading is a popular candidate because it feels mentally engaging. This article looks at what reading may contribute, and is frank about the limits of the evidence. It does not report any study of its own and makes no promise that reading will prevent memory decline or any illness.
What happens in the mind when you read
Reading an extended text calls on several functions at once.
- Working memory holds the meaning of a sentence or paragraph while you move on to the next.
- Long-term memory supplies background knowledge and stores what is new.
- Attention keeps you on the page and filters out distractions.
- Inference fills in what the writer implies but does not say.
- Language processing turns printed symbols into words and meaning.
A novel adds more: following a cast of characters, a timeline, and the shifting motives behind events. A nonfiction book may ask you to hold a chain of reasoning across many pages. None of this is exercise in the sense of a workout with measured results, but it is real mental work, and it is work many people enjoy.
The “use it or lose it” idea
A popular idea holds that keeping the mind active helps preserve it, much as physical activity helps preserve the body. There is some basis for the thought. Studies of aging have often found that adults who stay mentally and socially engaged tend to perform better on thinking tests than those who do not. Reading is typically one of many activities included in such measures, along with puzzles, hobbies, classes and conversation.
But there are good reasons to treat this idea carefully.
- Healthy people read more. Someone who is already experiencing early memory or vision problems may read less. If so, lower reading is a consequence of changes in the mind, not a cause of them.
- Education and background are tied in. More education and more mentally demanding jobs are associated with more reading and with better test performance. It is hard to separate these.
- Tests measure particular skills. A person might do well on a memory test and still find reading dull, or the reverse.
- Benefits may be specific. Practicing one skill often improves that skill but does not always carry over to others. Reading may help you get better at reading and at related language tasks without making your memory for names or appointments better.
- Results vary between studies. Some research reports small advantages for people who keep up mentally active habits; other research finds little difference once other factors are accounted for.
The honest summary is that reading is plausibly one healthy mental habit among several, and that its independent effect is difficult to pin down.
Memory, specifically
People often hope reading will improve memory. A few cautious points apply.
Reading about a subject you care about can make it easier to remember details of that subject, because new facts attach to what you already know. That is a real and familiar effect. It is not the same as strengthening memory in general.
How you read matters more than how much. Passively moving your eyes over text tends to leave little behind. Pausing to summarize a section, asking yourself a question about it or discussing it with someone usually helps more. Revisiting material after a delay helps too. These are ordinary learning habits, not tricks specific to reading.
Occasional forgetfulness, such as misplacing keys or losing a word, is common at any age and is usually not a cause for alarm. Persistent or worsening memory problems, or anything that interferes with daily life, deserve a conversation with a doctor. Reading is not a diagnostic tool or a treatment.
Older adults
Many older adults report that reading is a valued source of stimulation and company. Some find print harder as eyesight changes, and larger type, better lighting, audiobooks or e-readers with adjustable text can help them keep reading. Whether or not reading protects the mind, there are good reasons to keep it up: it can be enjoyable, it connects people to ideas and to each other, and it fills time pleasantly.
It is worth stressing that the absence of reading does not mean something is wrong, and a lifetime of reading does not provide immunity from memory conditions. People who have read all their lives can still develop them.
Practical ways to make reading more mentally engaging
If you want reading to be mentally active rather than passive, small habits help.
- Mix your reading. Alternate fiction with nonfiction, and try subjects that are slightly outside your usual interests.
- Take breaks to recall. After a chapter, spend a minute saying or writing what happened or what the main points were.
- Talk about it. Explaining a book to a friend or joining a discussion group adds a social element that many people find motivating.
- Read at your best time of day. Reading when you are alert is more productive than reading when exhausted.
- Look after the basics. Sleep, physical activity, social contact and managing health conditions are widely regarded as important for thinking. Reading is better thought of as a complement to these than a replacement.
A proportionate view
Reading is a worthwhile, low-cost activity that exercises language, attention and memory in everyday ways. It may well be a useful part of a mentally active life. What the research does not support is any promise that a given amount of reading will keep memory from declining. Treat it as something good to do, enjoy it for its own sake, and speak to a health professional about any real concerns.