Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025
10:05
A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity
Published on: May 7, 2017
12.3K
Spoken language processing activates the primary visual cortex
Anna Seydell-Greenwald1, Xiaoying Wang2, Elissa L Newport1
1Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States of America.
Plos One
|August 11, 2023
Summary
The primary visual cortex (V1) processes spoken language in sighted individuals, challenging previous assumptions about its function. This finding suggests V1
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Sensory Processing
Background:
- Primary visual cortex (V1) traditionally viewed as processing basic visual features.
- Multisensory effects on V1 typically involve simple, congruent sounds.
- Congenital blindness shows V1 involved in language, despite unchanged connectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate if V1 responds to spoken language in sighted individuals.
- Reconcile V1's language role in blindness with plasticity limitations.
- Explore V1's multisensory capabilities beyond basic visual processing.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in normally sighted adults.
- Comparison of fMRI activity for comprehensible vs. reversed spoken sentences.
- Analysis of V1 activation for abstract vs. concrete words and correlation with attention.
Main Results:
- V1 (visual cortex) showed significant activation to comprehensible spoken language.
- Activation was stronger in the left hemisphere compared to the right.
- V1 language response was independent of visual imagery and general attention.
Conclusions:
- V1 responds to high-level spoken language signals in sighted individuals.
- This suggests a role in binding multisensory information, potentially for prediction.
- Pre-existing V1 capabilities may guide neural plasticity observed in blindness.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
917
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
917
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
4.0K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
4.0K
01:24Vision
53.6K
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
53.6K
01:20Parallel Processing
181
The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
181
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
5.5K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
5.5K
01:26Visual System
617
Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
617