Effects of orthographic consistency and word length on the dynamics of written production in adults: psycholinguistic and rTMS experiments

  • Samuel Planton
  • Mélanie Jucla
  • Jean-François Démonet
  • Christiane Soum-Favaro
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Recent studies on written word production aim at studying how information is transmitted between central (linguistic) and peripheral (motor) processes. Neurocognitive models propose that the interface between both types of processes would rely on a frontal writing center (i.e. the GMFA or “Exner’s area”). However there is still debate (1) whether those “levels” are processed in a serial or a cascaded/parallel way and (2) about the nature of the contribution of the GMFA. In Experiment 1, we evaluated the interaction between length and orthographic consistency effects in a writing-to-dictation task. We observed consistency effects on latencies and writing speed depending on the position in the word of the inconsistent segment. In Experiment 2, 16 participants underwent a writing-to-dictation task, manipulating length and regularity effect, after inhibitory rTMS. We observed an increase of latencies restricted to long and irregular words. Those results are consistent with a cascaded view of writing and suggest a more complex role of GMFA than initially expected.

Keywords

Written word production Handwriting Orthographic consistency Graphemic motor frontal area Transcranial magnetic stimulation 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques UMRS 825INSERMToulouseFrance
  2. 2.Imagerie Cérébrale et Handicaps Neurologiques UMRS 825CHU Purpan, Université de Toulouse, UPSToulouseFrance
  3. 3.URI Octogone-Lordat (EA 4156)Université Toulouse II Jean JaurèsToulouseFrance
  4. 4.CNRS, LPL (UMR 7309)Aix Marseille UnivAix-en-Provence Cedex 1France
  5. 5.Centre Leenaards de la MémoireCHUV and Université de LausanneLausanneSwitzerland

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