Manga reading on paper vs. digital devices: Prospective effects on core and supportive integration processes in the brain

Aug 24, 2026

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Reading on paper reportedly improves story comprehension compared to its digital version, yet the neural mechanisms behind this difference remain unclear. This study used Japanese manga narratives shown in two halves, with the same events presented from two protagonists’ perspectives. Participants learned the first halves on either paper or an electronic tablet, then read the second halves during empathy ratings and MRI scanning. Behaviorally, response times changed in the Tablet condition, and brain activity differences emerged between media, including altered left and right frontal activations linked to integration and individual accuracy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Background: paper vs digital reading and comprehension

Prior neuroimaging work and hypotheses

Methods (implied from abstract)

OPEN ACCESS Citation: Umejima K, Sunada Y, Sakai KL (2026) Manga reading on [paper vs. digital](paper vs. digital)[ ](paper vs. digital)[devices: Prospective effects on core and](devices: Prospective effects on core and)[ ](devices: Prospective effects on core and)[supportive integration processes in the brain.](supportive integration processes in the brain.)[ ](supportive integration processes in the brain.)PLoS One 21(6): e0349778. [https://doi](https://doi). org/10.1371/journal.pone.0349778 Editor: Seung-Goo Kim, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics: Max Planck Institut fur empirische Asthetik, GERMANY Received: November 29, 2025 Accepted: May 5, 2026 Published: June 3, 2026 Copyright: © 2026 Umejima et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data availability statement: The minimal data set of behavioral and functional imaging files are available: Umejima, Keita. 2026.“Manga Dataset.” OSF. March [6. osf.io/gxkvs](6. osf.io/gxkvs). Funding: This research received funding from COAMIX INC. This research was also supported RESEARCH ARTICLE Manga reading on [paper vs. digital](paper vs. digital) devices: Prospective effects on core and supportive integration processes in the brain Keita Umejima, Yuki Sunada, Kuniyoshi L. Sakai* Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan * [sakai@sakai-lab.jp](sakai@sakai-lab.jp) Abstract Reading on paper reportedly improves story comprehension compared to its digital version, although the underlying neuroscientific mechanisms remain unclear. We used a format of Japanese manga stories as visual narratives told in halves, each of which depicted the same events from the different perspectives of two protagonists. We examined how the medium used to read the first halves, either on a paper book (Paper preparatory condition) or on an electronic tablet (Tablet preparatory condition), facilitated reading of the second halves for the memorized stories, which they read on an electronic display with continuous empathy ratings. Magnetic resonance scanning was conducted during the latter reading and during answering two sets of questions: Set 1 that could be answered after reading the first half alone, and Set 2 that required comprehension from both halves. Behavioral results showed prospective effects of reading manga stories on a paper book or an electronic tablet, such that the response times were prolonged in Set 2 for the Tablet condition. By comparing the results of Sets 1 and 2 with correct answers for each story, we found significant response time differences for the Tablet condition alone. Moreover, for the Paper condition, activations in the left frontal regions significantly decreased while reading the second halves, and those in the right frontal regions also decreased in Set 1. Furthermore, core left frontal activations were highest in Set 2 for the Tablet condition, while supportive right frontal activations correlated with individual accuracy rates in Set 2 for the Tablet condition, indicating that excessive integration processes support improved performances required by correct answers. The present results demonstrate stronger prospective effects of reading on paper books, such that linguistic and narrative-structural integration processes are facilitated and led to saved excessive activations. PLOS One | [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0349778](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0349778) June 3, 2026 1 / 16 by a Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists (no. 24K16045 to KU) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. There

FAQs

How does the study compare paper versus digital manga reading?

Participants prepared the first half of the same manga story either on paper or on an electronic tablet, then read the second half on an electronic display while providing empathy ratings and undergoing MRI scanning.

What behavioral differences were found between the two media?

The Tablet condition showed prolonged response times in the task requiring comprehension from both halves (Set 2) compared with tasks answerable after the first half alone (Set 1).

Which brain regions differed depending on the reading medium and task set?

For the Paper condition, left frontal activations decreased while reading the second halves, and right frontal activations also decreased in Set 1. Core left frontal activations were highest in Set 2 for the Tablet condition, while supportive right frontal activity correlated with individual accuracy in Set 2.

Aug 24, 2026

Upload by Skyler