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Handwriting may boost brain connections more than typing does

The finding adds to growing evidence of handwriting’s benefits

a close up of a hand with a pen writing

Using a pen or pencil to write boosts brain connectivity, which suggests handwriting might help with learning.

Rafa Fernandez Torres/Moment/Getty Images

By Claudia López Lloreda

Writing out the same word again and again in cursive may bring back bad memories for some, but handwriting can boost connectivity across brain regions, some of which are implicated in learning and memory, a new study shows.

When asked to handwrite words, college students showed increased connectivity across the brain, particularly in brain waves associated with memory formation, compared with when they typed those words instead, researchers report January 26 in Frontiers in Psychology.