Sex differences in cognitive functions are heavily debated. Recent work suggests that sex differences do stem from different processing strategies utilized by men and women. While these processing strategies are likely reflected in different brain networks, so far the link between brain networks and processing strategies remains speculative. In the present study we seek for the first time to link sex

Neuroimaging studies have implicated left temporal lobe regions in audiovisual integration of speech and inferior parietal regions in temporal binding of incoming signals. However, it remains unclear which regions are necessary for audiovisual integration, especially when the auditory and visual signals are offset in time. Aging also influences integration, but the nature of this influence is unresolved

Motor speech requires numerous neural computations including feedforward and feedback control mechanisms. A reduction of auditory or somatosensory feedback may be implicated in disorders of speech, as predicted by various models of speech control. In this paper the effects of reduced somatosensory feedback on articulation and intelligibility of individual phonemes was evaluated by using topical anesthesia

In addition to cortical lesions, mounting evidence on the links between language and the subcortical regions suggests that subcortical lesions may also lead to the emergence of aphasic symptoms. In this paper, by emphasizing the domain-general function of the basal ganglia in both language and music, we highlight that rhythm processing, the function of temporal prediction, motor programming and execution

This article reports the results from an ERP study on the processing of anaphoric reference to quantifying expressions in Swedish (e.g. Many students attended the lecture and that they were present was noted). Negative quantifiers (e.g. few) differ from positive quantifiers (e.g. many), in allowing anaphoric expressions to target either the ref(erence) set ('students attending the lecture') or the

Many neurological disorders are associated with excessive and/or uncontrolled cursing. The right prefrontal cortex has long been implicated in a diverse range of cognitive processes that underlie the propensity for cursing, including non-propositional language representation, emotion regulation, theory of mind, and affective arousal. Neurogenic cursing often poses significant negative social consequences

In this sentence reading study, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the processing mechanism of article-noun gender disagreement in two kinds of nouns in Italian. The first are nouns with syntactic gender (il trenoM 'train'; la sediaF 'chair') for which the processing and repair of gender disagreement entails only one repair option, namely for the article (morphosyntactic repair)

Healthy older adults commonly report increased difficulties with language production. This could reflect decline in the language network, or age-related declines in other cognitive abilities that support language production, such as executive function. To examine this possibility, we conducted a whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis in older and younger adults using two

This paper presents an fMRI study on healthy adult understanding of metaphors in multimodal communication. We investigated metaphors expressed either only in coverbal gestures ("monomodal metaphors") or in speech with accompanying gestures ("multimodal metaphors"). Monomodal metaphoric gestures convey metaphoric information not expressed in the accompanying speech (e.g. saying the non-metaphoric utterance

Previous studies regarding developmental stuttering (DS) suggest that motor neural networks are strongly affected. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to investigate neural activation of the primary motor cortex in DS during movement execution, and the influence of muscle representations involved in movements on “surrounding” ones. TMS was applied over the contralateral abductor digiti

This study investigated the role of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in language switching using theta burst stimulation (TBS) and electroencephalography in late bilinguals. After a sham-controlled baseline, participants received either excitatory or inhibitory TBS over the left DLPFC before conducting picture naming tasks in pure language blocks and a language switching block, as well

This study investigated effects of multisession transcranial direct-current stimulation on learning and maintenance of novel memory content and scrutinised effects of baseline cognitive status and the role of multi-session tDCS on overnight memory consolidation. In a prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, sham-tDCS controlled design, 101 healthy young and older adults completed a five-day

The human brain is functionally asymmetric. Producing and understanding language, for instance, engages the left hemisphere to a larger extent than the right in most people. Recent research showed that lateralization for auditory word processing increases with age. The present study extends these findings to the visual domain. We measured lateralization for visual word processing with the visual half

While phonologic errors may be one of the salient features of the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA), sparse data are available on their neuroimaging correlates. The purpose of this study was to identify brain regions associated with different types of phonologic errors across several tasks for participants with lvPPA. Correlational analyses between phonologic errors across tasks

Late second language (L2) learners report difficulties in specific linguistic areas such as syntactic processing, presumably because brain plasticity declines with age (following the critical period hypothesis). While there is also evidence that L2 learners can achieve native-like online-processing with sufficient proficiency (following the convergence hypothesis), considering multiple mediating factors

When switching languages, bilinguals recruit a language control network that overlaps with brain regions known to support general cognitive control, but it is unclear whether these same regions are recruited in passive comprehension of language switches. Using fMRI with a blocked design, 24 Spanish-English bilinguals silently read 36 paragraphs in which the default language was Spanish or English,

In a previous sham-controlled study, we showed the feasibility of increasing language comprehension in healthy participants by applying anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) over the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG). In the present work, we present a follow-up experiment targeting with atDCS the left inferior parietal cortex (LIPC) while participants performed the same auditory comprehension

Power modulations of the EEG activity within the beta-frequency band were investigated across silent-reading and copy-typing tasks featuring emotionally negative and neutral words in order to clarify the interplay between language and motor processing. In reading, a single desynchronization surfaced 200-600 ms after target presentation, with a stronger power-decrease in lower beta frequencies for neutral

Non-canonical sentence comprehension impairments are well-documented in aphasia. Studies of neurotypical controls indicate that prosody can aid comprehension by facilitating attention towards critical pitch inflections and phrase boundaries. However, no studies have examined how prosody may engage specific cognitive and neural resources during non-canonical sentence comprehension in persons with left

Rapid and efficient speech processing benefits from the prediction derived from prior expectations based on the identification of individual words. It is known that speech processing is carried out within a distributed frontotemporal network. However, the spatiotemporal causal dynamics of predictive brain mechanisms in sound-to-meaning mapping within this network remain unclear. Using magnetoencephalography

To characterize structural white matter substrates associated with language functions in children with language disorders (LD), a psychometry-driven diffusion tractography network was investigated with canonical correlation analysis (CCA), which can reliably predict expressive and receptive language scores from the nodal efficiency (NE) of the obtained network. The CCA found that the NE values of six

As the speech apparatus is also involved in producing non-speech movements, understanding whether speech and non-speech planning are controlled by the same brain mechanisms is central to the comprehension of motor speech planning. A crucial issue is whether a specialized motor planning/control system is dedicated to speech or if the motor planning/control system is shared across oromotor behaviors

It is controversial as to how age of acquisition (AoA) and proficiency level of the second language influence the similarities and differences between the first (L1) and the second (L2) language brain networks. In this functional MRI study, we used representational similarity analysis to quantify the degree of neural similarity between L1 and L2 during sentence comprehension tasks in 26 adult Chinese-English

Local field potentials evoked by body action and mental action verbs were recorded in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of 18 patients with Parkinson's disease through the electrodes implanted for deep brain stimulation. Compared with the medication on-condition, the medication off-condition showed a difference in activity in the early time segments, mainly in the right STN, with larger amplitudes for

Several studies have shown that unbalanced bilinguals activate both of their languages simultaneously during L2 processing; however, evidence for L2 activation while participants are tested exclusively in their L1 has been more tenuous. Here, we investigate whether bilingual participants implicitly activate the label for a picture in their two languages, and whether labels activated in L2 can prime

Reading relies on a left-lateralized brain system, including occipito-temporal (OTC), temporo-parietal, and inferior frontal (IFC) cortices. Neuroimaging studies have investigated whether activation in these cortices is modulated by a language's orthographic depth (consistency of grapheme-to-phoneme conversion). In Spanish-English bilinguals, some but not all studies have reported activation differences

Postoperative functional neuroimaging provides a unique opportunity to investigate the neural mechanisms that facilitate language network reorganization. Previous studies in patients with low grade gliomas (LGGs) in language areas suggest that postoperative recovery is likely due to functional neuroplasticity in peritumoral and contra-tumoral healthy regions, but have attributed varying degrees of

The framework of embodied cognition has challenged the modular view of a language-cognition divide by suggesting that meaning-retrieval critically involves the sensory-motor system. Despite extensive research into the neural mechanisms underlying language-motor coupling, it remains unclear how the motor system might be differentially engaged by different levels of linguistic abstraction and language

Language communication is crucial throughout the lifespan. The current study investigated how aging affects the brain network subserving intelligible speech. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we compared brain responses to intelligible and unintelligible speech between older and young adults. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed reduced brain activation and lower regional pattern

We previously reported impoverished semantic memory in patients with hippocampal amnesia (Klooster & Duff, 2015). Here, we test whether this disruption results from the patients not updating semantic representations since the onset of their amnesia. We extend previous work by comparing performance of hippocampal patients and their current age (CA) comparisons (M = 58.5 years) to a new comparison group

This study used voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to examine the cortical and white matter regions associated with language production impairments in a sample of 63 preoperative tumour patients. We identified four cognitive functions considered crucial for spoken language production: semantic-to-lexical mapping (selecting the appropriate lexical label for the intended concept); phonological encoding

Deviations of attention from the task at hand are often associated with worse reading performance (Schooler, Reichle, & Halpern, 2004). Ironically, current methods for detecting these shifts of attention typically generate task interruptions and further disrupt performance. In the current study, we developed a method to (1) track shifts of attention away from the reading task by examining the similarity

Previous studies investigating the processing of complex sentences have demonstrated the involvement of the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) and left superior temporal gyrus (LSTG), which might subserve ordering and storage of linguistic components, respectively, for sentence comprehension. However, how these brain regions are interconnected, especially during the processing of Chinese sentences

The current study aims to determine the brain areas critical for response to anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in PPA. Anodal tDCS and sham were administered over the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), combined with written naming/spelling therapy. Thirty people with PPA were included in this study, and assessed immediately, 2 weeks, and 2 months post-therapy. We identified anatomical

One of the key questions in the study of human language acquisition is the extent to which the development of neural processing networks for different components of language are modulated by exposure to linguistic stimuli. Sign languages offer a unique perspective on this issue, because prelingually Deaf children who receive access to complex linguistic input later in life provide a window into brain

Morphological awareness, the ability to manipulate the smallest units of meaning, is critical for Chinese literacy. This is because Chinese characters typically reflect the morphemic, or morpho-syllabic units of language. Yet, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying Chinese speakers' morphological processing remain understudied. Proficient readers (N = 14) completed morphological and phonological

Newborns habituate to repeated auditory stimuli, and discriminate syllables, generating opportunities for early language learning. This study investigated trial-by-trial changes in newborn electrophysiological responses to auditory speech syllables as an index of habituation and novelty detection. Auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 16 term newborn infants, aged 1-3 days, in

This study examines cross-modality effects of a semantically-biased written sentence context on the perception of an acoustically-ambiguous word target identifying neural areas sensitive to interactions between sentential bias and phonetic ambiguity. Of interest is whether the locus or nature of the interactions resembles those previously demonstrated for auditory-only effects. FMRI results show significant

Recent neurophysiological studies have proposed distinct roles of β and γ oscillations in implementing top-down and bottom-up processes. The present study aims to test this hypothesis in the domain of speech perception. We examined β and γ oscillations elicited to a tone contrast in a passive oddball paradigm, and their relationships with discrimination sensitivity d' and RT from two groups of healthy

The aim of the present study was to uncover a possible common neural organizing principle in spoken and written communication, through the coupling of perceptual and motor representations. In order to identify possible shared neural substrates for processing the basic units of spoken and written language, a sparse sampling fMRI acquisition protocol was performed on the same subjects in two experimental

Previous electrophysiological work argues that predictability and semantic incongruity rapidly impact comprehension, as indicated by modulation of the N400 component between ~300 and 500 ms. An ongoing question is whether effects of predictability in fact reflect pre-activation in long-term memory as opposed to modulating the kind of integration processes triggered by incongruity. Using fMRI, we compared

Listening to white noise may facilitate cognitive performance, including new word learning, for some individuals. This study investigated whether auditory white noise facilitates the learning of novel written words from context in healthy young adults. Sixty-nine participants were required to determine the meaning of novel words placed within sentence contexts during a silent reading task. Learning

This longitudinal study was aimed at testing the relation between rhythm sensitivity and behavioural and neural orthographic sensitivity in pre-reading stages. Basque-speaking children performed several behavioural and EEG tasks at two time points prior to formal reading acquisition (T1: 4 years old; T2: 5 years old). Neural sensitivity to print was measured via a novel child friendly N170-elicitation

Research has implicated the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) in mapping acoustic-phonetic input to sound category representations, both in native speech perception and non-native phonetic category learning. At issue is whether this sensitivity reflects access to phonetic category information per se or to explicit category labels, the latter often being required by experimental procedures. The current

Compelling evidence supports an association between the attribute of aerobic fitness and achievement scores on standardized tests of reading. However, such standardized assessments provide only a broad valuation of a complex network of language related sub-processes that contribute to reading and are heavily confounded by other attention-related processes. The present investigation sought to clarify

Bilingual language control is characterized by the ability to select from amongst competing representations based on the current language in use. According to the Conditional Routing Model (CRM), this feat is underpinned by basal-ganglia signal-routing mechanisms, and may have implications for cognitive flexibility. The current experiment used dynamic causal modeling of fMRI data to compare network-level

Neuroimaging evidence suggests that bilingualism may act as a source of neural plasticity. However, prior work has mostly focused on bilingualism-induced alterations in gray matter volume and white matter tract microstructure, with additional effects related to other neurostructural indices that might have remained undetected. The degree of cortical folding or gyrification is a morphometric parameter

We aimed to identify neural regions where ischemia acutely after stroke is associated with impairment in phoneme discrimination, and to determine whether such deficits are associated with impairment of spoken word comprehension. We evaluated 33 patients within 48 h of left hemisphere ischemic stroke onset with tests of phoneme discrimination and word-picture matching. We identified Pearson correlations

Word learning is a multifaceted perceptual and cognitive task that is omnipresent in everyday life. Currently, it is unclear whether this ability is influenced by age, musical expertise or both variables. Accordingly, we used EEG and compared behavioral and electrophysiological indices of word learning between older adults with and without musical expertise (older adults' perspective) as well as between

Typically, bilinguals learn multiplication facts in only one instruction language. Consequently, these facts may be represented and/or accessed as language-specific memories, requiring a qualitatively different retrieval process in their other language. Indeed, behavioral studies reveal that bilinguals verify arithmetic facts faster and better in the language of learning. Here, event-related potentials

Many patients who meet core/root criteria for Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) are not classifiable as a recognized variant and are often excluded from neuroimaging studies. Here, we detail neurological, neuropsychological, speech and language assessments, and anatomic and molecular neuroimaging (MRI, PiB-PET, and FDG-PET) for fifteen (8 female) clinically unclassifiable PPA patients. Median age of

In order to investigate how language and attention systems are affected by word boundary information during reading, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment in which text-color in naturally unspaced Chinese sentences were systematically manipulated in three experimental conditions, that is, text-color alternation consistent or inconsistent with word boundary (i.e., alternating-color

Few studies have examined the time course of second language (L2) induced neuroplasticity or how individual differences may be associated with brain changes. The current longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging study examined changes in cortical thickness (CT) and gray matter volume (GMV) across two semesters of L2 Spanish classroom learning. Learners' lexical processing was assessed via

Sound processing is an important scaffold for early language acquisition. Here we investigate its relationship to three components of phonological processing in young children (∼age 3): Phonological Awareness (PA), Phonological Memory (PM), and Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN). While PA is believed to hinge upon consistency of sound processing to distinguish and manipulate word features, PM relies on

Lexical tone processing in speech is mediated by bilateral superior temporal and inferior prefrontal regions, but little is known concerning the neural circuitries of lexical tone phonology in reading. Using fMRI, we examined the neural systems for lexical tone in visual Chinese word recognition. We found that the extraction of lexical tone phonology in print was subserved by bilateral fronto-parietal

Talker adaptation improves speech processing efficiency by reducing possible mappings between talkers' speech acoustics and listeners' phonemic representations. We investigated the functional neuroanatomy of talker adaptation by applying noninvasive neurostimulation (high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation; HD-tDCS) to left superior temporal lobe while participants performed an auditory

The human brain has been uniquely equipped with the remarkable ability to acquire more than one language, as in bilingual individuals. Previous neuroimaging studies have indicated that learning a second language (L2) induced neuroplasticity at the macrostructural level. In this study, using the quantitative MRI (qMRI) combined with functional MRI (fMRI) techniques, we quantified the microstructural

Given the ubiquity of noisy environments and increasing globalization, the necessity to perceive speech in noise in a non-native language is common and necessary for successful communication. In the current investigation, bilingual individuals who learned their non-native language at different ages underwent magnetic resonance imaging while listening to sentences in both of their languages, in quiet