The effects of bilateral posterior parietal cortex tRNS on reading performance. (6th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bertoni, Sara; Franceschini, Sandro; Campana, Gianluca; Facoetti, Andrea
• Is Part Of: Cerebral cortex. Volume 33:Number 9(2023)
• Page Start: 5538
• Page End: 5546
• Publication Date: 2022-11-06
• Subjects: dorsal visual pathway -- multisensory attention -- noninvasive brain stimulation -- reading neural networks -- visual word form area; Cerebral cortex -- Periodicals; Brain -- Periodicals; 612.825
• DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac440
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1047-3211

Abstract

Abstract: According to established cognitive neuroscience knowledge based on studies on disabled and typically developing readers, reading is based on a dual-stream model in which a phonological-dorsal stream (left temporo-parietal and inferior frontal areas) processes unfamiliar words and pseudowords, whereas an orthographic-ventral stream (left occipito-temporal and inferior frontal areas) processes known words. However, correlational neuroimaging, causal longitudinal, training, and pharmacological studies have suggested the critical role of visuo-spatial attention in reading development. In a double blind, crossover within-subjects experiment, we manipulated the neuromodulatory effect of a short-term bilateral stimulation of posterior parietal cortex (PPC) by using active and sham tRNS during reading tasks in a large sample of young adults. In contrast to the dual-stream model predicting either no effect or a selective effect on the stimulated phonological-dorsal stream (as well as to a general multisensory effect on both reading streams), we found that only word-reading performance improved after active bilateral PPC tRNS. These findings demonstrate a direct neural connectivity between the PPC, controlling visuo-spatial attention, and the ventral stream for visual word recognition. These results support a neurobiological model of reading where performance of the orthographic-ventral stream is boosted by an efficient deployment of visuo-spatial attention from bilateral PPC stimulation.