A recent study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests that there is a universal language network that is present across a wide range of languages and language families. The study, conducted by S. Malik-Moraleda and colleagues, investigated 45 different languages and 12 different language families to determine if there were any common patterns in how language is processed in the brain.
To conduct their study, the researchers used a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity in participants as they listened to stories in their native language. The researchers then used a machine learning algorithm to analyze the data and identify patterns of brain activity that were consistent across all of the languages and language families.
The results of the study revealed that there is indeed a universal language network that is present in all of the languages and language families that were investigated. This network is comprised of a set of brain regions that are involved in processing language, including areas in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes of the brain.
Interestingly, the study also found that there were some differences in how different languages were processed in the brain. For example, the researchers found that languages with more complex grammatical structures, such as Finnish and Turkish, tended to activate different areas of the brain compared to languages with simpler grammatical structures, such as English and Spanish.
The findings of this study suggest that there is a common neural architecture that underlies language processing in the brain, regardless of the specific language or language family being used. This has important implications for our understanding of how the brain processes language and could lead to new insights into language-related disorders such as dyslexia and aphasia.
For a detailed account read the original paper.
S. Malik-Moraleda et al. An investigation across 45 languages and 12 language families reveals a universal language network. Nat Neurosci, published online July 18, 2022; doi: 10.1038/s41593-022-01114-5
