We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
Introduction
Theoretical models of language processing abound, but, unlike memory where animal models are informative, only experiments involving human volunteers seem adequate to probe the complexities of human language. In order to determine which of these models is most appropriate, cognitive scientists are increasingly turning to brain imaging to provide answers to old questions as well as to provide a platform to ask new ones.
The advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has provided the opportunity for scientists from a wide variety of disciplines to investigate multiple facets of human cognition in healthy volunteers and clinical populations. Imaging with fMRI is attractive compared to previous methods like PET (positron emission tomography) and X-Ray scintigraphy because investigations can be repeated without exposing the study subject to ionizing radiation (Raichle, 1998). fMRI reveals parts of the brain where blood flow increases or decreases in response to performance of a cognitive task (Jezzard, Matthews & Smith, 2001). This review covers what has been learned regarding the topography of brain activation when bilinguals process different languages. The effects of cognitive demands of different languages, levels of processing, proficiency, and language background are considered.
Studies on bilinguals in clinical populations
Despite their heterogeneity and varied rigor, studies based on clinical populations are important because they provide information about brain regions that are critical to particular cognitive functions (as opposed to being merely participatory).
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
