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Cognitive control for language switching in bilinguals: A quantitative meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies
Open accessAbstract
In a quantitative meta-analysis, using the activation likelihood estimation method, we examined the neural regions involved in bilingual cognitive control, particularly when engaging in switching between languages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bilingual cognitive control model originally proposed as a qualitative analysis of functional neuroimaging studies. After reviewing 128 peer-reviewed articles, 10 neuroimaging studies met our inclusion criteria and in each study, bilinguals switched between languages in response to cues. We isolated regions involved in voluntary language switching, by including reported contrasts between the switching conditions and high-level baseline conditions involving similar tasks but requiring the use of only one language. Eight brain regions showed significant and reliable activation: left inferior frontal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, midline pre-supplementary motor area, and bilateral caudate nuclei. This quantitative result is consistent with bilingual aphasia studies that report switching deficits associated with lesions to the caudate nuclei or prefrontal cortex. It also extends the previously reported qualitative model. We discuss the implications of the findings for accounts of bilingual cognitive control.
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“This model was confirmed in a quantitative meta-analysis examining bilingual language switching [95]”
From Bilingualism: consequences for mind and brain (2012) · cites this paper as [95]
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“greater activity in the bilingual network, including areas identified in the meta-analysis [95], was related to smaller RT costs for incongruent trials.”
From Bilingualism: consequences for mind and brain (2012) · cites this paper as [95]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Luk, G., Green, D. W., Abutalebi, J., & Grady, C.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- University College London (GB)
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (IT)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Luk, Gigi
- Venue
- Language and Cognitive Processes
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2012-12
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1479-1488
- ISSN
- 0169-0965 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-0732
- PMC
- PMC4006828
- OpenAlex
- W2128376159
- Cited by
- 375
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 1.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Language and Cognitive Processes (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (acceptedVersion)
- Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- U.S. Public Health Service (14036-4)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (14036_4)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Keywords
- language switching, bilingualism, neuronal activation, left inferior frontal gyrus, caudate nucleus, pre-supplementary motor area, bilingual aphasia
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