Learning to Read Increases the Informativeness of Distributed Ventral Temporal Responses

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Reading acquisition is a complex, long-term learning process.
• The impact of reading development on visual representations in the ventral temporal cortex (VTC) remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how learning to read shapes distributed visual representations in the human VTC across different age groups.
• To identify specific anatomical and hemispheric patterns of VTC development related to reading proficiency.

Main Methods:

• Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity.
• Employed a data-driven, computational approach to analyze VTC responses to characters (pseudowords, numbers) and other visual stimuli.
• Quantified developmental changes in distributed VTC responses in children, preteens, and adults.

Main Results:

• VTC responses to words and characters became more distinctive and informative with age, particularly in the left lateral VTC.
• Developmental changes were specific to anatomical regions (lateral vs. medial VTC) and hemispheres (left vs. right).
• Increased informativeness of word-selective voxels in the left lateral VTC significantly correlated with reading ability.

Conclusions:

• Developmental increases in the informativeness of distributed left lateral VTC responses are linked to proficient reading.
• These findings have significant implications for theories of reading development and understanding neural bases of reading disabilities.