Cortical representation of Persian word production: an fMRI study

Neural correlates of single word reading with the use of a functional MRI [fMRI] scan have been widely studied in different languages. These study patterns of cortical activation differ in different languages. In this report we used a similar technique to study cortical activation when reading single Persian words. The subjects were comprised of nine healthy right-handed bilingual individuals who performed three consecutive fMRI paradigms. Our study showed activation of the inferior frontal gyrus [IFG] when single Persian words were read. These results revealed that the pattern of brain activation during word production in Persian has a similar topography to that of English equivalents. The paradigms selectively activate word production areas and are useful in neurological assessment of the Persian population