Exploring the neurobiology of reading through non-invasive brain stimulation: A review

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has gained increasing popularity as a modulatory tool for drawing causal inferences and exploring task-specific network interactions. Yet, a comprehensive synthesis of reading-related NIBS studies is still missing. We fill this gap by synthesizing the results of 78 NIBS studies investigating the causal involvement of brain regions for reading processing, and then link these results to a neurobiological model of reading. The included studies provide evidence for a functional-anatomical double dissociation for phonology versus semantics during reading-related processes within left inferior frontal and parietal areas. Additionally, the posterior parietal cortex and the anterior temporal lobe are identified as critical regions for reading-related processes. Overall, the findings provide some evidence for a dual-stream neurobiological model of reading, in which a dorsal stream (left temporo-parietal and inferior frontal areas) processes unfamiliar words and pseudowords, and a ventral stream (left occipito-temporal and inferior frontal areas, with assistance from the angular gyrus and the anterior temporal lobe) processes known words. However, individual differences in reading abilities and strategies, as well as differences in stimulation parameters, may impact the neuromodulatory effects induced by NIBS. We emphasize the need to investigate task-specific network interactions in future studies by combining NIBS with neuroimaging.