The proposed experiments will examine auditory single word processing using a combination of MEG, fMRI, and behavioral methodologies. The use of identical stimuli and tasks will allow for a direct comparison of the time course (MEG), and anatomical correlates (fMRI) of auditory word recognition. In the first two experiments, high frequency and low frequency words will be compared with pseudowords. In the final two experiments, participants will be trained to recognize and/or associate meaning with a set of pseudowords. In Experiment 4, cortical responses to the presentation of trained and untrained pseudowords will be compared to those for the presentation of high and low frequency real words during both MEG and fMRI scanning sessions. This training manipulation will allow for an exploration of the changes in neural activation associated with the learning of new lexical items. The proposed research has implications for our understanding of the neural processes involved in the processing of normal speech. In addition, the study of plasticity during word learning relates directly to educational issues involved in adult foreign language learning.
