The neural basis of Number and Person phi-features processing: An fMRI study in highly proficient bilinguals

• Simin Meykadeh ^[1] ; Arsalan Golfam ^[1] ; Seyed Amir Hossein Batouli ^[2] ; Werner Sommer ^[3]
  1. [1] Tarbiat Modares University

     Tarbiat Modares University

     Irán

     
  2. [2] Tehran University of Medical Sciences

     Tehran University of Medical Sciences

     Irán

     
  3. [3] Humboldt University of Berlin

     Humboldt University of Berlin

     Berlin, Stadt, Alemania

     

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• Localización: Bilingualism: Language and cognition, ISSN 1366-7289, Vol. 27, Nº 3, 2024, págs. 306-321
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1017/S1366728923000615
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • No studies have investigated the neural correlates of Number and Person agreement processing in bilinguals. Because a previous fMRI study showed difference in L1 and L2 morphosyntactic processing of L1 Turkish–L2 Persian bilinguals, it was of interest whether this difference can be specifically attributed to Number or Person processing. Therefore, we reanalyzed these data at the whole-brain level, revealing a selective response for Number Violations in the pars opercularis (PO), whereas Number and Person Violations activated the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG). These results support the decomposition of agreement projections and their neuroanatomical substrates in bilinguals and confirm the involvement of systematically different feature-checking and feature-mapping mechanisms in Number and Person agreement but shared mechanisms between L1 and L2. Moreover, at variance with previous reports, Number Violations evoked more effects than Person Violations in pSTG, suggesting qualitatively different processing underlying R-expression and pronominal controllers.