The Gow Lab

Dual Lexicon Model

A Functional Neuroanatomical Model of Lexical Processing

Much of our work focuses on interactions between stored representations of wordform and acoustic-phonetic representation. Acoustic-phonetic representations are well localized to the posterior superior temporal gyrus based on intracranial recordings, and other components of the network for spoken word perception and production are described within several prominent models including Hickok and Poeppel’s dual stream model, and Guenther’s DIVA model. To better understand lexical processing, we developed the dual lexicon model.

The dual lexicon model synthesizes results from aphasiology, functional imaging, histology, laboratory phonology, behavioral and computational work to identify two parallel phonological wordform areas. The dorsal lexicon, localized in the inferior parietal region and including the supramarginal serves as a lexical interface between the phonetic and articulatory representations. The ventral lexicon, localized in the posterior middle temporal gyrus, serves as an interface between phonetic and higher order semantic, morphological and syntactic representation.