Higher theta-beta ratio during screen-based vs. printed paper is related to lower attention in children: An EEG study

Michal Zivan, Sasson Vaknin, Nimrod Peleg, Rakefet Ackerman, Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Reading is considered a non-intuitive, cognitively demanding ability requiring synchronization between several neural networks supporting visual, language processing and higherorder abilities. With the involvement of technology in our everyday life, reading from a screen has become widely used. Several studies point to challenges in processing written materials from the screen due to changes in attention allocation when reading from a screen compared to reading from a printed paper. The current study examined the differences in brain activation when reading from a screen compared to reading from a printed paper focusing on spectral power related to attention in fifteen 6-8-year-old children. Using an electroencephalogram, children read two different age-appropriate texts, without illustrations, presented randomly on the screen and on a printed paper. Data were analyzed using spectral analyses in brain regions related to language, visual processing, and cognitive control, focusing on theta vs. beta waveforms. Results indicated that while reading from a printed paper was accompanied by higher energy in high-frequency bands (beta, gamma), reading from the screen was manifested by a higher power in the lower frequency bands (alpha, theta). Higher theta compared to the beta ratio, representing challenges in allocating attention to a given task, was found for the screen reading compared to the printed paper reading condition. Also, a significant negative correlation was found between differences in theta/ beta ratio for screen vs paper reading and accuracy level in the age-normalized Sky-Search task measuring attention and a positive correlation with performance time. These results provide neurobiological support for the greater cognitive load and reduced focused attention during screen-based compared to print-based reading and suggest a different reliance on attention resources for the two conditions in children.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0283863
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume18
Issue number5 May
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2023
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Zivan et al.

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