scholarly journals A Spatiotemporal Map of Reading Aloud

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Woolnough ◽  
Cristian Donos ◽  
Aidan Curtis ◽  
Patrick S Rollo ◽  
Zachary J Roccaforte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Neural Codes ◽  
Spatiotemporal Resolution ◽  
Orthographic Neighborhood ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Lexical Route ◽  
Word Attributes

Reading words aloud is a foundational aspect of the acquisition of literacy. The rapid rate at which multiple distributed neural substrates are engaged in this process can only be probed via techniques with high spatiotemporal resolution. We used direct intracranial recordings in a large cohort to create a holistic yet fine-grained map of word processing, enabling us to derive the spatiotemporal neural codes of multiple word attributes critical to reading: lexicality, word frequency and orthographic neighborhood. We found that lexicality is encoded by early activity in mid-fusiform (mFus) cortex and precentral sulcus. Word frequency is also first represented in mFus followed by later engagement of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and inferior parietal sulcus (IPS), and orthographic neighborhood is encoded solely in the IPS. A lexicality decoder revealed high weightings for electrodes in the mFus, IPS, anterior IFG and the pre-central sulcus. These results elaborate the neural codes underpinning extant dual-route models of reading, with parallel processing via the lexical route, progressing from mFus to IFG, and the sub-lexical route, progressing from IPS to anterior IFG.

A Neural Signature of Phonological Access: Distinguishing the Effects of Word Frequency from Familiarity and Length in Overt Picture Naming

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Graves ◽  
Thomas J. Grabowski ◽  
Sonya Mehta ◽  
Jean K. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Length ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Word Production ◽  
Frequency Effect ◽  
Word Frequency Effect ◽  
Lexical Semantic ◽  
Processing Cost ◽  
Left Posterior ◽  
Whole Word

Cognitive models of word production correlate the word frequency effect (i.e., the fact that words which appear with less frequency take longer to produce) with an increased processing cost to activate the whole-word (lexical) phonological representation. We performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while subjects produced overt naming responses to photographs of animals and manipulable objects that had high name agreement but were of varying frequency, with the purpose of identifying neural structures participating specifically in activating whole-word phonological representations, as opposed to activating lexical semantic representations or articulatory-motor routines. Blood oxygen level-dependent responses were analyzed using a parametric approach based on the frequency with which each word produced appears in the language. Parallel analyses were performed for concept familiarity and word length, which provided indices of semantic and articulatory loads. These analyses permitted us to identify regions related to word frequency alone, and therefore, likely to be related specifically to activation of phonological word forms. We hypothesized that the increased processing cost of producing lower-frequency words would correlate with activation of the left posterior inferotemporal (IT) cortex, the left posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), and the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Scan-time response latencies demonstrated the expected word frequency effect. Analysis of the fMRI data revealed that activity in the pSTG was modulated by frequency but not word length or concept familiarity. In contrast, parts of IT and IFG demonstrated conjoint frequency and familiarity effects, and parts of both primary motor regions demonstrated conjoint effects of frequency and word length. The results are consistent with a model of word production in which lexical-semantic and lexical-phonological information are accessed by overlapping neural systems within posterior and anterior language-related cortices, with pSTG specifically involved in accessing lexical phonology.

scholarly journals Interaction effects of aging, word frequency, and predictability on saccade length in Chinese reading

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8860
Author(s):  
Zhifang Liu ◽  
Wen Tong ◽  
Yongqiang Su
Keyword(s):  
Target Word ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Frequency Effect ◽  
Chinese Reading ◽  
Saccade Length ◽  
Total Reading Time

Background It was well known that age has an impact on word processing (word frequency or predictability) in terms of fixating time during reading. However, little is known about whether or not age modulates these impacts on saccade behaviors in Chinese reading (i.e., length of incoming/outgoing saccades for a target word). Methods Age groups, predictability, and frequency of target words were manipulated in the present study. A larger frequency effect on lexical accessing (i.e., gaze duration) and on context integration (i.e., go-past time, total reading time), as well as larger predictability effects on data of raw total reading time, were observed in older readers when compared with their young counterparts. Results Effect of predictability and frequency on word skipping and re-fixating rate did not differ across the two age groups. Notably, reliable interaction effects of age, along with word predictability and/or frequency, on the length of the first incoming/outgoing saccade for a target word were also observed. Discussion Our findings suggest that the word processing function of older Chinese readers in terms of saccade targeting declines with age.

scholarly journals Perceptual and Semantic Representations at Encoding Contribute to True and False Recognition of Objects

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loris Naspi ◽  
Paul Hoffman ◽  
Barry Devereux ◽  
Alexa Morcom
Keyword(s):  
False Recognition ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Visual Image ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Semantic Representations ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Semantic Models

When encoding new episodic memories, visual and semantic processing are proposed to make distinct contributions to accurate memory and memory distortions. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and representational similarity analysis to uncover the representations that predict true and false recognition of unfamiliar objects. Two semantic models captured coarse-grained taxonomic categories and specific object features, respectively, while two perceptual models embodied low-level visual properties. Twenty-eight female and male participants encoded images of objects during fMRI scanning, and later had to discriminate studied objects from similar lures and novel objects in a recognition memory test. Both perceptual and semantic models predicted true memory. When studied objects were later identified correctly, neural patterns corresponded to low-level visual representations of these object images in the early visual cortex, lingual, and fusiform gyri. In a similar fashion, alignment of neural patterns with fine-grained semantic feature representations in the fusiform gyrus also predicted true recognition. However, emphasis on coarser taxonomic representations predicted forgetting more anteriorly in ventral anterior temporal lobe, left perirhinal cortex, and left inferior frontal gyrus. In contrast, false recognition of similar lure objects was associated with weaker visual analysis posteriorly in early visual and left occipitotemporal cortex. The results implicate multiple perceptual and semantic representations in successful memory encoding and suggest that fine-grained semantic as well as visual analysis contributes to accurate later recognition, while processing visual image detail is critical for avoiding false recognition errors.

scholarly journals Acquired dysgraphia in adults following right or left-hemisphere stroke

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 236-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaqueline de Carvalho Rodrigues ◽  
Denise Ren da Fontoura ◽  
Jerusa Fumagalli de Salles
Keyword(s):  
Left Hemisphere ◽  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Lexical Route ◽  
Right Hemisphere Damage ◽  
Dual Route Model ◽  
Left Hemisphere Stroke ◽  
Graphemic Buffer

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the strengths and difficulties in word and pseudoword writing in adults with left- and right-hemisphere strokes, and discuss the profiles of acquired dysgraphia in these individuals.METHODS: The profiles of six adults with acquired dysgraphia in left- or right-hemisphere strokes were investigated by comparing their performance on word and pseudoword writing tasks against that of neurologically healthy adults. A case series analysis was performed on the patients whose impairments on the task were indicative of acquired dysgraphia.RESULTS: Two patients were diagnosed with lexical dysgraphia (one with left hemisphere damage, and the other with right hemisphere damage), one with phonological dysgraphia, another patient with peripheral dysgraphia, one patient with mixed dysgraphia and the last with dysgraphia due to damage to the graphemic buffer. The latter patients all had left-hemisphere damage (LHD). The patterns of impairment observed in each patient were discussed based on the dual-route model of writing.CONCLUSION: The fact that most patients had LHD rather than right-hemisphere damage (RHD) highlights the importance of the former structure for word processing. However, the fact that lexical dysgraphia was also diagnosed in a patient with RHD suggests that these individuals may develop writing impairments due to damage to the lexical route, leading to heavier reliance on phonological processing. Our results are of significant importance to the planning of writing interventions in neuropsychology.

Lexical entrenchment and cross-language activation: Two sides of the same coin for bilingual reading across the adult lifespan

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
VERONICA WHITFORD ◽  
DEBRA TITONE
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Frequency Effects ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Language Activation ◽  
Cross Language

We used eye movement measures of paragraph reading to examine whether two consequences of bilingualism, namely, reduced lexical entrenchment (i.e., reduced lexical quality and accessibility arising from less absolute language experience) and cross-language activation (i.e., simultaneous co-activation of target- and non-target-language lexical representations) interact during word processing in bilingual younger and older adults. Specifically, we focused on the interaction between word frequency (a predictor of lexical entrenchment) and cross-language neighborhood density (a predictor of cross-language activation) during first- and second-language reading. Across both languages and both age groups, greater cross-language (and within-language) neighborhood density facilitated word processing, indexed by smaller word frequency effects. Moreover, word frequency effects and, to a lesser extent, cross-language neighborhood density effects were larger in older versus younger adults, potentially reflecting age-related changes in lexical accessibility and cognitive control. Thus, lexical entrenchment and cross-language activation multiplicatively influence bilingual word processing across the adult lifespan.

scholarly journals The Word Frequency Effect in Word Processing: An Updated Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Brysbaert ◽  
Paweł Mandera ◽  
Emmanuel Keuleers
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Frequency Effect ◽  
Word Frequency Effect ◽  
Frequency Measure ◽  
Language Exposure ◽  
High Frequency Words

The word frequency effect refers to the observation that high-frequency words are processed more efficiently than low-frequency words. Although the effect was first described over 80 years ago, in recent years it has been investigated in more detail. It has become clear that considerable quality differences exist between frequency estimates and that we need a new standardized frequency measure that does not mislead users. Research also points to consistent individual differences in the word frequency effect, meaning that the effect will be present at different word frequency ranges for people with different degrees of language exposure. Finally, a few ongoing developments point to the importance of semantic diversity rather than mere differences in the number of times words have been encountered and to the importance of taking into account word prevalence in addition to word frequency.

The Neurotopography of Written Word Production: An fMRI Investigation of the Distribution of Sensitivity to Length and Frequency

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 4067-4081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Rapp ◽  
Olivier Dufor
Keyword(s):  
Word Reading ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Lexical Frequency ◽  
Left Posterior ◽  
Component Processes ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Reading And Spelling

This research is directed at charting the neurotopography of the component processes of the spelling system by using fMRI to identify the neural substrates that are sensitive to the factors of lexical frequency and word length. In spelling, word frequency effects index orthographic long-term memory whereas length effects, as measured by the number of letters, index orthographic working memory (grapheme buffering). Using the task of spelling to dictation in the scanner, we found a highly differentiated neural distribution of sensitivity to the factors of length and lexical frequency, with areas exhibiting sensitivity to length but not frequency and vice versa. In addition, a direct comparison with the results of a previous study [Rapp, B., & Lipka, K. The literate brain: The relationship between spelling and reading. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23, 1180–1197, 2011] that used a very different spelling task yielded a converging pattern of findings regarding the neural substrates of the central components of spelling. Also, with regard to relationship between reading and spelling, we replicated previous functional neuroimaging studies that have shown overlapping regions of activation in the left posterior inferior frontal gyrus and midfusiform gyrus for word reading and spelling.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document