Adaptive plasticity in the healthy reading network investigated through combined neurostimulation and neuroimaging

The reading network in the human brain comprises several regions, including the left inferior frontal cortex (IFC), ventral occipito-temporal cortex (vOTC) and dorsal temporo-parietal cortex (TPC). The left TPC is crucial for phonological decoding, i.e., for learning and retaining sound-letter mappings. Here, we tested the causal contribution of this area for reading with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and explored the response of the reading network using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). 28 healthy adult readers overtly read simple and complex words and pseudowords during fMRI after effective or sham TMS over the left TPC. Behaviorally, effective stimulation slowed pseudoword reading. A multivariate pattern analysis showed a shift in activity patterns in the left IFC for pseudoword reading after effective relative to sham TMS. Furthermore, active TMS led to increased effective connectivity from the left vOTC to the left TPC, specifically for pseudoword processing. The observed changes in task-related activity and connectivity suggest compensatory reorganization in the reading network following TMS-induced disruption of the left TPC. Our findings provide first evidence for a causal role of the left TPC for overt pseudoword reading and emphasize the relevance of functional interactions in the healthy reading network for successful pseudoword processing.