The neural substrates of phonological processing: an examination of neuroimaging research

Abstract

Despite the use of standardized testing techniques designed to isolate phonological processes, previous attempts to localize the neural regions associated with phonological processing have produced highly variable results. The purpose of the present research is to integrate the results of a broad range of neuroimaging studies in order to identify the neural correlates of phonological processing. The present study applies the word production model proposed by Indefrey and Levelt to a sample of fMRI and MEG studies investigating phonological processing.The hypothesis of the present study is that the regions of activation found in the fMRI and MEG studies will parallel the neural regions in the cortical network described by Indefrey and Levett. This finding would suggest that current evidence for the localization of phonological processing is not inconsistent, but merely reflects activation in the various cortical regions corresponding to the different stages of phonological processing.