Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41057333›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Fast hierarchical processing of orthographic and semantic parafoveal information during natural reading.

Lijuan Wang, Steven Frisson, Yali Pan, Ole Jensen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Simultaneous Cortical Responses to Multiple Written Words.Journal of cognitive neuroscience · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Simultaneous cortical responses to multiple written words.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Lijuan WangCentre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. lxw203@student.bham.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3442-1597
Steven FrissonCentre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Yali PanCentre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. Y.Pan.1@bham.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0062-4326
Ole JensenCentre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8193-8348

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 207550
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In reading, information from parafoveal words is extracted before direct fixation; however, it is debated whether this processing is restricted to orthographic features or also encompasses semantics. Moreover, the neuronal mechanisms supporting parafoveal processing remain poorly understood. We co-registered MEG and eye-tracking data in a natural reading paradigm to uncover the timing and brain regions involved in parafoveal processing. Representational similarity analysis revealed that parafoveal orthographic neighbours (e.g., "writer" vs. "waiter") showed higher representational similarity than non-neighbours (e.g., "writer" vs. "police"), emerging ~68 ms after fixation onset on the preceding word (e.g., "clever") in the visual word form area. Similarly, parafoveal semantic neighbours (e.g., "writer" vs. "author") exhibited increased representational similarity at ~137 ms in the left inferior frontal gyrus. Importantly, the degree of orthographic and semantic parafoveal processing was correlated with individual reading speed. Our findings suggest fast hierarchical processing of parafoveal words across distinct brain regions, enhancing reading efficiency.

Indexed as

Fovea CentralisReadingSemanticsAdultBrainEye MovementsEye-Tracking TechnologyFemaleFixation, OcularHumansMagnetoencephalographyMalePattern Recognition, VisualYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41057333
PMCPMC12504734

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.