title: Ventral and dorsal pathways for language.
abstract: Built on an analogy between the visual and auditory systems, the following dual stream model for language processing was suggested recently: a dorsal stream is involved in mapping sound to articulation, and a ventral stream in mapping sound to meaning. The goal of the study presented here was to test the neuroanatomical basis of this model. Combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a novel diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based tractography method we were able to identify the most probable anatomical pathways connecting brain regions activated during two prototypical language tasks. Sublexical repetition of speech is subserved by a dorsal pathway, connecting the superior temporal lobe and premotor cortices in the frontal lobe via the arcuate and superior longitudinal fascicle. In contrast, higher-level language comprehension is mediated by a ventral pathway connecting the middle temporal lobe and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex via the extreme capsule. Thus, according to our findings, the function of the dorsal route, traditionally considered to be the major language pathway, is mainly restricted to sensory-motor mapping of sound to articulation, whereas linguistic processing of sound to meaning requires temporofrontal interaction transmitted via the ventral route.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Strasse 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. dorothee.saur@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saur
authors.forename: Björn W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Kreher
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schnell
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kümmerer
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kellmeyer
authors.forename: Magnus-Sebastian
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vry
authors.forename: Roza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Umarova
authors.forename: Mariacristina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musso
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Glauche
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rijntjes
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.forename: Cornelius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weiller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001931:Brain Mapping; D032882:Comprehension; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*