Cited by 27Reading and Literacy DevelopmentNeurobiology of Language and BilingualismVisual perception and processing mechanisms

RETRACTED: The visual word form area is organized according to orthography

Braet, Wouter, Wagemans, Johan, Op de Beeck, Hans P.·2012·NeuroImage

Abstract

Efficient word reading depends on a left fusiform brain region, the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA). The internal organization of this brain area is currently unknown, as are the potential factors that might underlie this organization. Here we combine functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with multi-voxel pattern analyses (MVPA) to probe the internal organization of the VWFA. Our findings reveal distinct activation patterns in the VWFA associated with individual letter strings, as well as for pictures. This result demonstrates that the VWFA is organized in such a way that similar words (as well as pictures) activate neurons consistently, irrespective of their exact visual appearance or location. The activation patterns for letter strings were driven primarily by orthographic similarity, and we observed no effects of semantics or lexical status (words versus pseudowords). This effect of orthographic similarity was significant only in the VWFA and not in retinotopic areas and object-selective control regions. Given the relationships between the internal organization and how visual input is processed in a brain region, our findings provide important constraints for computational models of how visual word forms are represented in the brain.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.10.032This paper is marked retracted.

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  • The left occipitotemporal cortex is involved in the perceptual processing of generic visual features present in all visual stimuli including words, objects, letters and faces.

    “A second perspective is that the left occipitotemporal cortex is involved in the perceptual processing of generic visual features that are present to varying degrees in all visual stimuli including words, objects, letters and faces (Barton et al., 2010; Mei et al., 2010; Braet et al., 2011; Reinke et al., 2008).”

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Authors
Braet, W., Wagemans, J., & Op de Beeck, H. P.
Affiliations
KU Leuven (BE)
Corresponding author
Braet, Wouter
Venue
NeuroImage
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-02
Volume
59
Issue
3
Pages
2751-2759
ISSN
1053-8119 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1998326011
Cited by
27
References
47
Citations by year
2021: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 14
FWCI
16.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Status
Retracted
Open access
closed
Locations
  • NeuroImage (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
Keywords
visual word form area, orthographic similarity, word reading, fusiform gyrus, image recognition, multi-voxel pattern analysis, retracted article, retinotopic areas
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neurons, Occipital Lobe, Photic Stimulation, Reading, Regression Analysis, Retina, Semantics, Visual Pathways, Visual Perception, Linear Models, Young Adult

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