Storytelling and Brain Activity

I attended a storytelling workshop today, and it brought to mind what could be an interesting research topic. There is an ongoing debate in the children's librarianship community on whether "pure" storytelling (in which one simply tells a tale using nothing but one's voice and simple gestures), is better than "enhanced" storytelling, which can include props and manipulatives like puppets, flannel boards, strings, drawings, costumes, etc. Both of these storytelling methods are done without reading from a book.

I'm wondering whether I could find "scientific" evidence supporting one style over the other. My initial thoughts are to have a pool of research participants who would come to the library, or to a laboratory if necessary, to listen to stories. I would somehow partner with a team of science researchers from the University, who would hook our participants up to those brain scanning hats they use when testing people's visceral responses to certain imagery or stimuli. In this case, of course, they would be measuring participants' brain activity while listening to stories told using the "pure" technique as well as the "enhanced" techniques. It would also be interesting to test their activity while listening to someone read to them from a book, which is what is usually done during children's storytime programs.

I wonder if there is really a big difference in positive impact among these various approaches. If not, this study would give children's librarians and other storytelling practitioners the "ammo" they need to justify using whichever method suits them better, rather than being stymied by others in their organizations who are adamant about the use of one particular style only.