Cited by 346Neurobiology of Language and BilingualismReading and Literacy DevelopmentHemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience

Phonological decisions require both the left and right supramarginal gyri

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Hartwigsen, Gesa, Baumgaertner, Annette, Price, Cathy J., Koehnke, Maria, Ulmer, Stephan, Siebner, Hartwig R.·2010·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Recent functional imaging studies demonstrated that both the left and right supramarginal gyri (SMG) are activated when healthy right-handed subjects make phonological word decisions. However, lesion studies typically report difficulties with phonological processing after left rather than right hemisphere damage. Here, we used a unique dual-site transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) approach to test whether the SMG in the right hemisphere contributes to modality-independent (i.e., auditory and visual) phonological decisions. To test task-specificity, we compared the effect of real or sham TMS during phonological, semantic, and perceptual decisions. To test laterality and anatomical specificity, we compared the effect of TMS over the left, right, or bilateral SMG and angular gyri. The accuracy and reaction times of phonological decisions were selectively disrupted relative to semantic and perceptual decisions when real TMS was applied over the left, right, or bilateral SMG. These effects were not observed for TMS over the angular gyri. A follow-up experiment indicated that the threshold-intensity for inducing a disruptive effect on phonological decisions was identical for unilateral TMS over the right or left SMG. Taken together, these findings provide converging evidence that the right SMG contributes to accurate and efficient phonological decisions in the healthy brain, with no evidence that the left and right SMG can compensate for one another during TMS. Our findings motivate detailed studies of phonological processing in patients with acute or long-term damage of the right SMG.

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  • We believe these results are a product of using an active baseline condition during data acquisition and may reflect the role of the supramarginal gyrus during arithmetic, language, and phonological processing tasks.

    “We believe these results are a product of using an active baseline condition during data acquisition (Stark and Squire, 2001) and may reflect the role of the supramarginal gyrus during arithmetic, language, and phonological processing tasks (Hartwigsen et al., 2010; Evans et al., 2016).”

    From Neural Correlates of Long-Term Memory Enhancement Following Retrieval Practice (2021) · cites this paper as Hartwigsen et al., 2010

    The Discussion (page not supplied) reports that both supramarginal gyri are important for phonological decisions on spoken and written words, supporting the phonological and language-related portion of the cited claim. It does not establish a role in arithmetic tasks. The active-baseline explanation is attached to a different citation and is not assessed here. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Hartwigsen, G., Baumgaertner, A., Price, C. J., Koehnke, M., Ulmer, S., & Siebner, H. R.
Affiliations
  • Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
  • Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
  • University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (DE)
  • Hvidovre Hospital (DK)
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2010-08-31
Volume
107
Issue
38
Pages
16494-16499
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W2156169663
Cited by
346
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 32 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 18
FWCI
8.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Wellcome Trust (082420)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience
Keywords
supramarginal gyrus, right hemisphere, phonological processing, transcranial magnetic stimulation, angular gyrus, hemispheric lateralization, semantic judgment, perceptual decision making
MeSH terms
Adult, Auditory Perception, Brain Mapping, Decision Making, Female, Humans, Language, Functional Laterality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Parietal Lobe, Reaction Time, Semantics, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Young Adult

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