Neurolinguistics: Structure, Function, and Connectivity in the Bilingual Brain

Overview

Journal Biomed Res Int

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology
General Medicine

Date 2016 Feb 17

PMID 26881224

Citations 14

Authors

Becky Wong

Bin Yin

Beth OBrien

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Advances in neuroimaging techniques and analytic methods have led to a proliferation of studies investigating the impact of bilingualism on the cognitive and brain systems in humans. Lately, these findings have attracted much interest and debate in the field, leading to a number of recent commentaries and reviews. Here, we contribute to the ongoing discussion by compiling and interpreting the plethora of findings that relate to the structural, functional, and connective changes in the brain that ensue from bilingualism. In doing so, we integrate theoretical models and empirical findings from linguistics, cognitive/developmental psychology, and neuroscience to examine the following issues: (1) whether the language neural network is different for first (dominant) versus second (nondominant) language processing; (2) the effects of bilinguals' executive functioning on the structure and function of the "universal" language neural network; (3) the differential effects of bilingualism on phonological, lexical-semantic, and syntactic aspects of language processing on the brain; and (4) the effects of age of acquisition and proficiency of the user's second language in the bilingual brain, and how these have implications for future research in neurolinguistics.

Citing Articles

Limited but specific engagement of the mature language network during linguistic statistical learning.

Schneider J, Scott T, Legault J, Qi Z Cereb Cortex. 2024; 34(4.

PMID: 38566510 PMC: 10987970. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae123.

Bilingual Language Experience Shapes Resting-State Brain Rhythms.

Bice K, Yamasaki B, Prat C Neurobiol Lang (Camb). 2023; 1(3):288-318.

PMID: 37215228 PMC: 10158654. DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00014.

The depth of semantic processing modulates cross-language pattern similarity in Chinese-English bilinguals.

Li H, Cao Y, Chen C, Liu X, Zhang S, Mei L Hum Brain Mapp. 2022; 44(5):2085-2098.

PMID: 36579666 PMC: 9980893. DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26195.

The Differences in Structure and Function of the Cerebellum Between Cantonese-Mandarin Bilinguals and Mandarin Monolinguals: a Multi-model MRI Study.

Jin Y, Fan X, Xu X, Pan N, Jing J, Song X Cerebellum. 2022; 22(4):628-639.

PMID: 35718855 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01433-0.

Functional neuroanatomy of English word reading in early bilingual and monolingual adults.

Brignoni-Perez E, Jamal N, Eden G Hum Brain Mapp. 2022; 43(14):4310-4325.

PMID: 35607841 PMC: 9435003. DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25955.

References

Weiss S, Mueller H . The contribution of EEG coherence to the investigation of language. Brain Lang. 2003; 85(2):325-43. DOI: 10.1016/s0093-934x(03)00067-1. View

Puce A, Allison T, Asgari M, Gore J, McCarthy G . Differential sensitivity of human visual cortex to faces, letterstrings, and textures: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Neurosci. 1996; 16(16):5205-15. PMC: 6579313. View

Jasinska K, Petitto L . Development of neural systems for reading in the monolingual and bilingual brain: new insights from functional near infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging. Dev Neuropsychol. 2014; 39(6):421-39. DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2014.939180. View

Das T, Padakannaya P, Pugh K, Singh N . Neuroimaging reveals dual routes to reading in simultaneous proficient readers of two orthographies. Neuroimage. 2010; 54(2):1476-87. PMC: 3654519. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.09.022. View

Wedeen V, Wang R, Schmahmann J, Benner T, Tseng W, Dai G . Diffusion spectrum magnetic resonance imaging (DSI) tractography of crossing fibers. Neuroimage. 2008; 41(4):1267-77. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.03.036. View

Whitwell J . Voxel-based morphometry: an automated technique for assessing structural changes in the brain. J Neurosci. 2009; 29(31):9661-4. PMC: 6666603. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2160-09.2009. View

Elmer S, Hanggi J, Meyer M, Jancke L . Differential language expertise related to white matter architecture in regions subserving sensory-motor coupling, articulation, and interhemispheric transfer. Hum Brain Mapp. 2010; 32(12):2064-74. PMC: 6870450. DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21169. View

Best J, Miller P . A developmental perspective on executive function. Child Dev. 2010; 81(6):1641-60. PMC: 3058827. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01499.x. View

Pliatsikas C, Johnstone T, Marinis T . Grey matter volume in the cerebellum is related to the processing of grammatical rules in a second language: a structural voxel-based morphometry study. Cerebellum. 2013; 13(1):55-63. PMC: 3895203. DOI: 10.1007/s12311-013-0515-6. View

10.

Sowell E, Delis D, Stiles J, Jernigan T . Improved memory functioning and frontal lobe maturation between childhood and adolescence: a structural MRI study. J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2001; 7(3):312-22. DOI: 10.1017/s135561770173305x. View

11.

Grady C, Luk G, Craik F, Bialystok E . Brain network activity in monolingual and bilingual older adults. Neuropsychologia. 2014; 66:170-81. PMC: 4898959. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.10.042. View

12.

Hauser M, Chomsky N, Fitch W . The faculty of language: what is it, who has it, and how did it evolve?. Science. 2002; 298(5598):1569-79. DOI: 10.1126/science.298.5598.1569. View

13.

Golestani N, Molko N, Dehaene S, Lebihan D, Pallier C . Brain structure predicts the learning of foreign speech sounds. Cereb Cortex. 2006; 17(3):575-82. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhk001. View

14.

De Smet H, Paquier P, Verhoeven J, Marien P . The cerebellum: its role in language and related cognitive and affective functions. Brain Lang. 2013; 127(3):334-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.11.001. View

15.

Pugh K . A neurocognitive overview of reading acquisition and dyslexia across languages. Dev Sci. 2006; 9(5):448-50. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2006.00528.x. View

16.

Hahne A . What's different in second-language processing? Evidence from event-related brain potentials. J Psycholinguist Res. 2001; 30(3):251-66. DOI: 10.1023/a:1010490917575. View

17.

Klein D, Mok K, Chen J, Watkins K . Age of language learning shapes brain structure: a cortical thickness study of bilingual and monolingual individuals. Brain Lang. 2013; 131:20-4. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.05.014. View

18.

Sakai K, Miura K, Narafu N, Muraishi Y . Correlated functional changes of the prefrontal cortex in twins induced by classroom education of second language. Cereb Cortex. 2004; 14(11):1233-9. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhh084. View

19.

Perani D, Abutalebi J . The neural basis of first and second language processing. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2005; 15(2):202-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2005.03.007. View

20.

Gollan T, Acenas L . What is a TOT? Cognate and translation effects on tip-of-the-tongue states in Spanish-English and tagalog-English bilinguals. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2004; 30(1):246-69. DOI: 10.1037/0278-7393.30.1.246. View