ABSTRACT
In the past, much of the information learned about the neural bases of language came from studies conducted on aphasic and other patients and could involve the use of autopsies or direct brain stimulation, when medically necessary. In modern times, scientists have developed tools to study language processes in the brain – non-invasively – that have allowed for a better understanding not only of aphasia and different language disorders but also of the healthy brain. This chapter aims to provide a brief overview of the commonly employed methods of studying the neurobiological processes of language. Neuroscientists focus their inquiries around two broad lines of investigation: where do processes happen? And when are they happening? To that end, this chapter will summarise how neuroscientists investigate how language processes unfold in space, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and in time, using the tools of electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). This chapter will also briefly cover early methods of brain imaging techniques, such as early-generation computerised X-ray studies and radiographic cerebral blood-flow studies, and how modern technology has revolutionised the information learned about language functionality in the brain. This chapter concludes with a discussion of future directions in imaging studies of language.
