Orthographic and Phonological Representations in the Fusiform Cortex.
Mental and neural representations of words are at the core of understanding the cognitive and neural mechanisms of reading. Despite extensive studies, the nature of visual word representation remains highly controversial due to methodological limitations. In particular, it is unclear whether the fusiform cortex contains only abstract orthographic representation, or represents both lower and higher level orthography as well as phonology. Using representational similarity analysis, we integrated behavioral ratings, computational models of reading and visual object recognition, and neuroimaging data to examine the nature of visual word representations in the fusiform cortex. Our results provided clear evidence that the middle and anterior fusiform represented both phonological and orthographic information. Whereas lower level orthographic information was represented at every stage of the ventral visual stream, abstract orthographic information was increasingly represented along the posterior-to-anterior axis. Furthermore, the left and right hemispheres were tuned to high- and low-frequency orthographic information, respectively. These results help to resolve the long-standing debates regarding the role of the fusiform in reading, and have significant implications for the development of psychological, neural, and computational theories of reading.
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.|Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
Libo
L
Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.|Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
Chunhui
C
Chen
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.|Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
Luying
L
Shao
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.|Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
Yapeng
Y
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.|Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
Xiaoqian
X
Xiao
Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
Chuansheng
C
Chen
School of Psychology, Shanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, PR China.
Jianfeng
J
Yang
Department of Linguistics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Jason
J
Zevin
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.|Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
Gui
G
Xue
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010700:Phonetics; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011578:Psycholinguistics; D011932:Reading; D012660:Semantics; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
H-Max model; VWFA; fMRI; reading; representational similarity analysis