New research suggests that the brain organizes language differently depending on whether someone is reading or hearing it. The study, published in Science, used brain scans to show that different neural regions activate when processing written text versus spoken words.
Dr. Emily Harris, lead author, explained that this finding challenges previous assumptions about language processing. “We’ve long thought that after initial sensory processing, the brain handles language in a unified way. Our results indicate separate pathways are maintained deeper into the processing stream than previously believed.”
The team used functional MRI to scan participants as they consumed the same content in both written and audio formats. The differences were consistent across all 43 participants, suggesting this is a fundamental aspect of human brain organization.
These findings could have implications for treating language disorders and improving educational approaches. “Understanding these distinct neural pathways might help us develop better interventions for conditions like dyslexia,” noted Dr. Harris.
Future research will examine how these pathways develop in children and whether they differ in multilingual individuals. The research team plans to expand their study to include more diverse languages and writing systems.
