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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition

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Identification of activated regions during a language task.

Diego De Carli¹, Girolamo Garreffa, Claudio Colonnese

¹MARBILab, Enrico Fermi Center, 00184 Rome, Italy.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

|May 26, 2007

Summary

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies may show negative BOLD responses (NBR) unrelated to neural activity. These hemodynamic variations require careful interpretation, especially for presurgical planning.

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Area of Science:

Neuroimaging
Cognitive Neuroscience
Physiology

Background:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) relies on blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes reflecting neural activity.
Negative BOLD responses (NBR) are observed in fMRI but their origin remains unexplained.
Understanding NBR is crucial for accurate interpretation of fMRI data.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate the variability of fMRI activation during language tasks.
Explore the sources of the negative BOLD signal.
Clarify the role of NBR in cognitive processing and fMRI interpretation.

Main Methods:

fMRI scans were performed on six healthy subjects during phonological and semantic language tasks.
Analysis focused on identifying brain regions with significant BOLD signal changes, including NBR.
Compared brain activity during cognitive tasks with resting states.

Main Results:

Significant activations were found in language-related areas (inferior frontal gyrus, precuneus) and motor regions (SMA).
Diffuse NBR and stronger negative responses near sinuses were observed, seemingly unrelated to specific neural activity.
Posterior and anterior cingulate cortex showed higher activity during rest than during tasks.

Conclusions:

NBR may represent hemodynamic variations rather than direct neural responses.
The supplementary motor area (SMA) might play a role in language processing.
Caution is advised when interpreting fMRI findings, particularly for presurgical evaluations, due to NBR.