Functional Activation during reading in relation to the sulci of the angular gyrus region Abstract · Studies suggest that the angular gyrus region of the inferior parietal lobule may be critical for reading · The investigation in this study demonstrated reading-related activity in the region of the angular gyrus that lies between the central and posterior branches of the caudal superior temporal sulcus, namely cytoarchitectonic area PG Introduction · The neural model of reading considers the angular gyrus in the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) of the dominant hemisphere to be critical . The angular gyrus is loosely defined as the cortex surrounding the caudal extension of the superior temporal sulcus (cSTS) · The cSTS is divided into three branches as it extends into the IPL: - An anterior branch - A central branch (cSTS2) - A posterior branch (cSTS 3) · It is unclear which one of these branches might relate to reading · This study aims to define the critical locus for reading-related activity with reference to the 3 caudal branches of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) that define the angular gyrus region · Neuroimaging studies of reading do not report activity in the IPL, but often report activity in the middle part of the fusiform gyrus, near the lateral occipital temporal sulcus - This mid-fusiform gyrus region is called the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA); however these findings have been question · Researchers propose that the VWFA may be involved in reading as a function of its interactions with other brain regions, including the angular gyrus in the IPL · The aim of this study is to provide a precise localization of riding-related activity in the angular gyrus and tp investigate the relative involvement of the angular gyrus and the mid- fusiform region (VWFA) in reading, as well as to examine their potential functional interaction during single word reading in healthy control subjects · Hypothesis: The visuospatial nature of words requires the contribution of the IPL, of which the angular gyrus is the critical part Subjects · Nine healthy right-handed subjects fluent in English
Experimental Design - Reading Minus Pictures of Objects; Copying English words minus writing the names of pictures objects · To isolate brain activation related to reading, they compared an experimental condition requiring reading of single words with a condition that did not involve reading · In both conditions, subjects wrote a word after seeing a visual stimulus on a screen · In the experimental condition, a written word was presented on the screen; the subject read it, and then wrote this word · In the control condition, a picture of an object was presented on the screen, the subject saw it, and then wrote down the name of that object . Thus, both conditions required the reading of words Results: Categorical Comparison - Reading (Copying English words) minus pictures of objects (writing the names of pictures of objects) . The aim of this comparison was to isolate regions of the brain that support single-word