Connections for auditory language in the human brain

• I review the anatomy and function of fiber tracts involved in language processing. • Language is processed via 3 different dorsal and 2 ventral fiber tracts, mainly. • Phonology, articulation and repetition are supported by dorsal fiber tracts only. • Lexical semantic processing is supported by a ventral fiber tract only. • Whereas complex syntax uses dorsal, simple syntax maybe uses ventral fiber tracts. The white matter bundles that underlie comprehension and production of language have been investigated for a number of years. Several studies have examined which fiber bundles (or tracts) are involved in auditory language processing, and which kind of language information is transmitted by which fiber tract. However, there is much debate about exactly which fiber tracts are involved, their precise course in the brain, how they should be named, and which functions they fulfill. Therefore, the present article reviews the available language-related literature, and educes a neurocognitive model of the pathways for auditory language processing. Besides providing an overview of the current methods used for relating fiber anatomy to function, this article details the precise anatomy of the fiber tracts and their roles in phonological, semantic and syntactic processing, articulation, and repetition.