Anatomo-functional profile of white matter tracts in relevance to language: A systematic review

Abstract

The way the brain does process language is an issue that has vexed the cognitive neuroscience of language for decades. Concurring with the Hickok and Poeppel's dual-stream network, we aimed to undertake a systematic review of the language-related functions of white matter tracts, comprising the dorsal and ventral language streams. Recent findings conform to an account in which ILF, IFOF, UF, ECF, a branch of the MLF, and a short segment of the SLF constitutes the ventral stream. The bulk of the SLF together with the AF form the dorsal language stream. The most anterior part of the dorsal pathway is also home to the FAT. We propose a fine-grained profile of each white matter fiber and the role in language processing. A better grasp of the architecture of language networks provides neuroclinicians and neurosurgeons precise pre/intraoperative instructions and a valuable avenue to better diagnose language impairments, and plan treatments.