Kimihiro Nakamura|Wen Jui Kuo|Felipe Pegado|Laurent Cohen|Ovid J.L. Tzeng|Stanislas Dehaene
Universal brain systems for recognizing word shapes and handwriting gestures during reading
Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab|Inserm|Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission|Université Paris Cité|University of Paris-Saclay|Collège de France|National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University|Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab|Inserm|Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission|Université Paris Cité|University of Paris-Saclay|Collège de France|Université Paris Cité|Sorbonne Université|Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris|Institut du Cerveau|Inserm|Academia Sinica|National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University|Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab|Inserm|Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission|Université Paris Cité|University of Paris-Saclay|Collège de France
neural circuits reading vary across culture reading visually complex writing systems chinese proposed rely areas outside classical lefthemisphere network alphabetic reading however show potential confounds crosscultural comparisons controlled presenting handwritten stimuli chinese french readers underlying network visual word recognition may universal previously suspected using functional magnetic resonance imaging semantic task words written cursive font demonstrate two universal circuits shape recognition system reading eye gesture recognition system reading hand similarly activated show identical patterns activation repetition priming two language groups activations cover brain regions previously associated culturespecific tuning results point extended reading network invariably comprises occipitotemporal visual wordform system sensitive wellformed static letter strings distinct left premotor region exners area sensitive forward backward direction cursive letters dynamically presented findings suggest cultural effects reading merely modulate fixed set invariant macroscopic brain circuits depending surface features orthographies