The Dual Loop Model in Language

A dual loop model for the processing of language in the brain was proposed early in history and has also formed the basis for many neuropsychological models. These models incorporate a (direct) route for sensorimotor mapping and a (indirect) route for “semantic” processing. Dual loop models also emerged in the field of visual processing, motor control, or spatial attention. Thus, a general dual loop system may provide the framework for the interpretation of cognition in human and primate brains independent of the modality and species. Modern imaging techniques like diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based fiber tracking identified long human association tracts for ventral and dorsal pathways. The extreme capsule (EmC) and uncinate fascicle (UF) are part of the ventral system, and the superior longitudinal fasciculi (SLF I, II, III) and the arcuate fasciculus (AF) are all dorsal pathways. This chapter reviews language processing in the brain in the context of a domain general dual loop system.