Dissociating Linguistic Processes in the Left Inferior Frontal Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2307-05.2005
• Publication Date: 2005-08-31T19:18:36Z
• Authors: Patricia M. Gough; Anna C. Nobre; Joseph T. Devlin
• Keywords: Temporal cortex

Is the left inferior frontal cortex (LIFC) a single functional region, or can it be subdivided into distinct areas that contribute differently to word processing? Here we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) investigate anterior and posterior LIFC when meaning sound of words were being processed. Relative no stimulation, TMS selectively increased response latencies participants focused on simultaneously presented (i.e., synonym judgments) but not they pattern homophone judgments). In contrast, opposite dissociation was observed in LIFC, where interfered with phonological semantic task. This double shows functionally subdivisions understood terms separable corticocortical connections linking temporal pole regions associated memory temporoparietal involved auditory speech processing.