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Neural representation of nouns and verbs in congenitally blind and sighted individuals

Author

Listed:
  • Marta Urbaniak

    (Polish Academy of Sciences
    Polish Academy of Sciences)

  • Małgorzata Paczyńska

    (SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities)

  • Alfonso Caramazza

    (Harvard University
    University of Trento
    University of Coimbra)

  • Łukasz Bola

    (Polish Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

In blind individuals, language processing activates not only classic language networks, but also the “visual” cortex. What is represented in visual areas when blind individuals process language? Here, we show that area V5/MT in blind individuals, but not other visual areas, responds differently to spoken nouns and verbs. We further show that this effect is present for concrete nouns and verbs, but not abstract or pseudo nouns and verbs. This suggests that area V5/MT in blind individuals represents physical properties of noun and verb referents, salient in the concrete word category, but not conceptual or grammatical distinctions, present across categories. We propose that this motion-sensitive area captures systematically different motion connotations of objects (nouns) and actions (verbs). Overall, our findings suggest that responses to language in the blind visual cortex can be deconstructed to representing physical properties of words’ referents, which are projected onto typical functional organization of this region.

Suggested Citation

  • Marta Urbaniak & Małgorzata Paczyńska & Alfonso Caramazza & Łukasz Bola, 2025. "Neural representation of nouns and verbs in congenitally blind and sighted individuals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-63423-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63423-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Leonardo G. Cohen & Pablo Celnik & Alvaro Pascual-Leone & Brian Corwell & Lala Faiz & James Dambrosia & Manabu Honda & Norihiro Sadato & Christian Gerloff & M. Dolores Catala´ & Mark Hallett, 1997. "Functional relevance of cross-modal plasticity in blind humans," Nature, Nature, vol. 389(6647), pages 180-183, September.
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