Zheng, G., Han, S.
This study reveals the neural circuits and timeline by which the brain categorizes words from alphabetic and non-alphabetic languages into language categories.
While language serves a social-categorization function, the neural mechanisms by which the brain sorts visual words into their respective languages were unclear.
Nine studies using EEG, MEG, and a repetition suppression paradigm were conducted. Words from different writing systems were presented, and brain responses were measured to analyze the activation patterns and connectivity of neural networks computing intra-language similarity and inter-language difference.
A neural network including anterior temporal, insular, and ventral occipito-temporal cortices in both hemispheres was found to compute correlation distances between words to represent language categories. This process begins as early as 150 ms post-stimulus, operates independently of word semantics and pronunciation, and is consistent across individuals with diverse language backgrounds. These findings highlight the neural basis for the social-categorization function of language.