Functional connectivity during orthographic, phonological, and semantic processing of Chinese characters identifies distinct visuospatial and phonosemantic networks

Abstract

While neuroimaging studies have identified brain regions associated with single word reading, its three constituents, namely, orthography, phonology, and meaning, and the functional connectivity of their networks remain underexplored. This study examined the neurocognitive underpinnings of these neural activations and functional connectivity of the identified brain regions using a within‐subject design. Thirty‐one native Mandarin speakers performed orthographic, phonological, and semantic judgment tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results indicated that the three processes shared a core network consisting of a large region in the left prefrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, and medial superior frontal gyrus but not the superior temporal gyrus. Orthographic processing more strongly recruited the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left superior parietal lobule and bilateral fusiform gyri; semantic processing more strongly recruited the left inferior frontal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus, whereas phonological processing more strongly activated the dorsal part of the precentral gyrus. Functional connectivity analysis identified a posterior visuospatial network and a frontal phonosemantic network interfaced by the left middle frontal gyrus. We conclude that reading Chinese recruits cognitive resources that correspond to basic task demands with unique features best explained in connection with the individual reading subprocesses.

A systematic review and coordinate-based meta-analysis of fMRI studies on acupuncture at LR 3

“…Some research posits that the left MFG is intricately connected to general working memory and contributes to the processing of visual attributes ( Kurosaki et al, 2016 ). Alternatively, evidence suggests the MFG is pivotal in assimilating spatial information, necessitating intricate spatial frequency processing, especially when discerning the component relationship of Chinese characters ( Liu C. Y. et al, 2022 ). Although limited studies have examined the association between acupuncture at the LR3 and language, it remains uncertain whether a direct link exists between MTG activation and the treatment of aphasia and related disorders through acupuncture at LR3.…”

Decoding Continuous Character-based Language from Non-invasive Brain Recordings

“…The cognitive processing of these characters involves visuospatial analysis and memory areas where the MFG is actively engaged [24, 42, 43]. Previous studies also suggested that the MFG’s involvement in visuospatial processing might be more pronounced in Chinese due to the logographic nature of its writing system [21, 23, 44, 45], whereas its role in phonological and syntactic processing might be more emphasized in English. These observations confirmed the effectiveness of our approach in tracking the voxel-wise contributions to language production and semantic processing, which also enhances our comprehension of the underlying decoding mechanisms.…”