Fig 2. Left primary visual cortex spoken language activation is found for abstract, unimaginable words.

A. Activation for spoken abstract words as compared to the rest baseline is shown on brain slices and inflated cortical hemispheres. In addition to the auditory cortex and inferior frontal cortex, significant activation is found in the primary visual cortex, despite the inability to visually imagine abstract concepts. CaS–Calcarine Sulcus. B. GLM parameter estimates (betas) were sampled in the left retinotopically-defined primary visual cortex, showing significant activation for spoken words, which does not differ between abstract and concrete words. C. Activation for abstract words is significantly higher in left than right V1, showing slight lateralization for language. Error bars denote standard error of the mean, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.005 FDR-corrected.