Activation of Extrastriate and Frontal Cortical Areas by Visual Words and Word-Like Stimuli
Abstract
Visual presentation of words activates extrastriate regions of the occipital lobes of the brain. When analyzed by positron emission tomography (PET), certain areas in the left, medial extrastriate visual cortex were activated by visually presented pseudowords that obey English spelling rules, as well as by actual words. These areas were not activated by nonsense strings of letters or letter-like forms. Thus visual word form computations are based on learned distinctions between words and nonwords. In addition, during passive presentation of words, but not pseudowords, activation occurred in a left frontal area that is related to semantic processing. These findings support distinctions made in cognitive psychology and computational modeling between high-level visual and semantic computations on single words and describe the anatomy that may underlie these distinctions.
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The visual word form area plays an important role in reading, but is very unlikely to be a genetic adaptation for reading.
“This area plays an important role in reading, but, given the recent emergence of literacy in human history, the VWFA is very unlikely to be a genetic adaptation for reading.”
From Mirror neurons: from origin to function (2014) · cites this paper as Petersen et al., 1990
The left medial extrastriate cortex is associated with visual word form processing.
“The association of the left medial extrastriate cortex with visual word form processing was confirmed because this area was activated by visually presented words and pseudowords that obey English spelling rules but was not activated by unfamiliar strings of letters or letter-like forms.”
From A review and synthesis of the first 20years of PET and fMRI studies of heard speech, spoken language and reading (2012) · cites this paper as Petersen et al., 1990
Some of the first evidence for a specific response to structured letter strings, as opposed to matched visual stimuli, came from PET.
“Indeed, some of the first evidence for a specific response to structured letter strings, as opposed to matched visual stimuli, came from PET (Petersen and Fiez, 1993; Petersen et al., 1990).”
From Specialization within the ventral stream: the case for the visual word form area (2004) · cites this paper as Petersen et al., 1990
The VWFA is tuned to the shape of letters, relative to visually equivalent pseudo-letters.
“First, there are indications that the VWFA is tuned to the shape of letters, relative to visually equivalent pseudo-letters.”
From Specialization within the ventral stream: the case for the visual word form area (2004) · cites this paper as Petersen et al. (1990)
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- Authors
- Petersen, S. E., Fox, P. T., Snyder, A. Z., & Raichle, M. E.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 1990-08-31
- Volume
- 249
- Issue
- 4972
- Pages
- 1041-1044
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2030087375
- Cited by
- 821
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 40.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r01ns025233-02)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL 13851, P01HL013851)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS25233, NS 06833)
- 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 recognition, pseudowords, extrastriate cortex, frontal cortex, semantic processing, left hemisphere, positron emission tomography
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cerebral Cortex, Cerebrovascular Circulation, Female, Humans, Language, Male, Middle Aged, Oxygen Radioisotopes, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Vision, Ocular, Visual Cortex
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