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Abstract:
Language is a key faculty for human communication. Across the last few decades, neuroimaging work provided insight into the contribution of distributed areas in the brain to different language operations, including the processing of meaning, sound, structure, and speech melody. These studies emphasize the role of left-dominant brain regions in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortex. Aside from this core language network, recent work highlights the contribution of right-hemispheric regions, primary sensory areas, subcortical and cerebellar regions, and areas that support processing across domains (e.g., working memory). Collectively, these studies emphasize a network perspective on language processing. Such work is complemented by electrophysiological studies that provide insight into the temporal dynamics of language processing. Lesion and neurostimulation studies elucidate the relevance of different areas for specific operations and demonstrate the role of intact network interactions. Studies on patients with stroke-induced lesions provide insight into the potential of the brain to create new connections during recovery. Recent neurostimulation approaches promise facilitatory tools to improve language function in neurological disorders, including post-stroke language impairments. Collectively, these studies suggest that the language network is flexible and can adapt to current needs to maintain or recover efficient processing under challenging conditions.
