Evidence for highly selective neuronal tuning to whole words in the "visual word form area".

Full Abstract

Theories of reading have posited the existence of a neural representation coding for whole real words (i.e., an orthographic lexicon), but experimental support for such a representation has proved elusive. Using fMRI rapid adaptation techniques, we provide evidence that the human left ventral occipitotemporal cortex (specifically the "visual word form area," VWFA) contains a representation based on neurons highly selective for individual real words, in contrast to current theories that posit a sublexical representation in the VWFA.

Author information

Author/s: Glezer, Laurie S (LS); Jiang, Xiong (X); Riesenhuber, Maximilian (M);

Affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Research Building Room WP-12, 3970 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA.

Grants: F31NS057997 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; P20MH66239 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Neuron (Neuron), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Apr; vol 62 (issue 2) : pp 199-204

Dates: Created 2009/05/04; Completed 2009/05/20; Revised 2009/07/07;

PMID: 19409265, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 7/24/2009, IMS Date: 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: Neuron. 2009 Apr 30;62(2):161-2. (PMID: 19409259)

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