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The role of right hemisphere in second language processing: Insights from a case study
Christos Papatzalas1, Kostas Fountas2, Eftychia Kapsalaki3
1Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Direct electrical stimulation (DES) of the right middle frontal gyrus (rMFG) in a late bilingual patient elicited language deficits in their second language only. This suggests the rMFG plays a role in processing non-native languages.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- The non-dominant (right) hemisphere's role in second language (L2) processing is increasingly recognized, especially in late bilinguals.
- Direct electrical stimulation (DES) during awake brain surgery is a valuable tool for mapping brain function.
- Limited DES studies exist on L2 processing in the right hemisphere.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the right middle frontal gyrus (rMFG) in L2 processing using DES.
- To explore neural underpinnings of bilingual language representation.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 36-year-old late bilingual female undergoing awake craniotomy for an arteriovenous malformation.
- Intraoperative direct electrical stimulation (DES) mapping of the right middle frontal gyrus (rMFG).
- Preoperative cognitive and linguistic assessments.
Main Results:
- DES on the rMFG induced anomias and phonemic paraphasias specifically in the patient's L2 (Greek), not L1 (Bulgarian).
- No significant preoperative cognitive or linguistic deficits were observed.
- Findings align with the rMFG's known involvement in episodic memory and the mental lexicon.
Conclusions:
- This case provides direct evidence for the involvement of the rMFG in supporting L2 processing in late bilingual individuals.
- The findings highlight functional lateralization differences between L1 and L2 in the bilingual brain.
- DES is a powerful method for elucidating the neural basis of complex cognitive functions like bilingual language processing.
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