Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals
Language processing depends on a left-lateralized network of frontotemporal cortical regions. This network is remarkably consistent across individuals and cultures. However, there is also evidence that developmental factors, such as delayed exposure to language, can modify this network. Recently, it...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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MIT Press
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/107666 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3444-805X |
| _version_ | 1826209608363933696 |
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| author | Lane, Connor Kanjlia, Shipra Richardson, Hilary Fulton, Anne Omaki, Akira Bedny, Marina |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Lane, Connor Kanjlia, Shipra Richardson, Hilary Fulton, Anne Omaki, Akira Bedny, Marina |
| author_sort | Lane, Connor |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Language processing depends on a left-lateralized network of frontotemporal cortical regions. This network is remarkably consistent across individuals and cultures. However, there is also evidence that developmental factors, such as delayed exposure to language, can modify this network. Recently, it has been found that, in congenitally blind individuals, the typical frontotemporal language network expands to include parts of “visual” cortices. Here, we report that blindness is also associated with reduced left lateralization in frontotemporal language areas. We analyzed fMRI data from two samples of congenitally blind adults (n = 19 and n = 13) and one sample of congenitally blind children (n = 20). Laterality indices were computed for sentence comprehension relative to three different control conditions: solving math equations (Experiment 1), a memory task with nonwords (Experiment 2), and a “does this come next?” task with music (Experiment 3). Across experiments and participant samples, the frontotemporal language network was less left-lateralized in congenitally blind than in sighted individuals. Reduction in left lateralization was not related to Braille reading ability or amount of occipital plasticity. Notably, we observed a positive correlation between the lateralization of frontotemporal cortex and that of language-responsive occipital areas in blind individuals. Blind individuals with right-lateralized language responses in frontotemporal cortices also had right-lateralized occipital responses to language. Together, these results reveal a modified neurobiology of language in blindness. Our findings suggest that, despite its usual consistency across people, the neurobiology of language can be modified by nonlinguistic experiences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:25:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/107666 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:25:10Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | MIT Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1076662022-10-01T21:15:26Z Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals Lane, Connor Kanjlia, Shipra Richardson, Hilary Fulton, Anne Omaki, Akira Bedny, Marina Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Richardson, Hilary Language processing depends on a left-lateralized network of frontotemporal cortical regions. This network is remarkably consistent across individuals and cultures. However, there is also evidence that developmental factors, such as delayed exposure to language, can modify this network. Recently, it has been found that, in congenitally blind individuals, the typical frontotemporal language network expands to include parts of “visual” cortices. Here, we report that blindness is also associated with reduced left lateralization in frontotemporal language areas. We analyzed fMRI data from two samples of congenitally blind adults (n = 19 and n = 13) and one sample of congenitally blind children (n = 20). Laterality indices were computed for sentence comprehension relative to three different control conditions: solving math equations (Experiment 1), a memory task with nonwords (Experiment 2), and a “does this come next?” task with music (Experiment 3). Across experiments and participant samples, the frontotemporal language network was less left-lateralized in congenitally blind than in sighted individuals. Reduction in left lateralization was not related to Braille reading ability or amount of occipital plasticity. Notably, we observed a positive correlation between the lateralization of frontotemporal cortex and that of language-responsive occipital areas in blind individuals. Blind individuals with right-lateralized language responses in frontotemporal cortices also had right-lateralized occipital responses to language. Together, these results reveal a modified neurobiology of language in blindness. Our findings suggest that, despite its usual consistency across people, the neurobiology of language can be modified by nonlinguistic experiences. 2017-03-23T17:45:13Z 2017-03-23T17:45:13Z 2016-11 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0898-929X 1530-8898 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/107666 Lane, Connor et al. “Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals.” Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 29.1 (2017): 65–78. © 2016 Massachusetts Institute of Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3444-805X en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01045 Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf MIT Press MIT Press |
| spellingShingle | Lane, Connor Kanjlia, Shipra Richardson, Hilary Fulton, Anne Omaki, Akira Bedny, Marina Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals |
| title | Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals |
| title_full | Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals |
| title_fullStr | Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals |
| title_short | Reduced Left Lateralization of Language in Congenitally Blind Individuals |
| title_sort | reduced left lateralization of language in congenitally blind individuals |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/107666 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3444-805X |
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