Neurobiological foundations of language mediation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI studies in translation and interpreting

Title : Neurobiological foundations of language mediation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI studies in translation and interpreting

Abstract:

Language mediation, ranging from written translation to interpreting, represents one of the most complex cognitive tasks performed by the human brain which involves an intricate interplay of language processing, executive control, and working memory systems. The neural architecture supporting these processes has become increasingly accessible to scientific inquiry through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), offering unprecedented insights into the neurobiological foundations of language mediation. The past two decades have witnessed a substantial, albeit still small, number of neuroimaging studies examining the neural correlates of translation and interpreting. These investigations have evolved from early studies focusing on single-word translation to more sophisticated paradigms capturing the complexity of interpreting. While individual studies have illuminated specific aspects of the neural mechanisms involved, a comprehensive understanding of the field’s development, methodological advances, and emerging research trajectories remains to be synthesised.

This study thus aims to map the landscape of fMRI research in translation and interpreting studies through a mixed methodology of systematic review and meta-analysis. Following the PRISMA 2020 reporting guideline (Page et al. 2021), authors of the study identified and selected a total of 13 journal articles from an initial pool of 2,700 entries collected through a comprehensive search of EBSCOhost, ProQuest, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. All of the entries employed fMRI to investigate brain activity and function in bilingual and multilingual individuals performing language-switching and/or interpreting-related tasks. Through close reading of the selected entries, main variables including bilingualism, expertise/proficiency, brain structure, and brain function were identified and their relationship closely examined. The study concludes with a map indicating the intricate relationship among the variables as reflected in the fMRI experiment results of all 13 studies, showcasing how bilingualism, mediated by expertise/proficiency, correlates with the status and changes in brain structure and function, in particular in aspects of language and cognitive control.

This systematic review pinpoints the evolution of theoretical frameworks in neuroscience approaches to language mediation, as well as methodological innovations in fMRI paradigm design for translation and interpreting tasks. Through examining the convergence of evidence regarding neural substrates specific to language mediation, the study helps to identify emerging research fronts and potential gaps for future research.

Biography:

Jun Pan is Professor of the Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies and Director of the Academy of Language and Culture at Hong Kong Baptist University. Prof. Pan’s research interests lie in peak performance, professionalism in interpreting, and corpus-based interpreting/translation studies. She (co-)authored over 100 journal articles, book chapters and conference papers, a full list of which can be found at https://scholars.hkbu.edu.hk/en/persons/JANICEPAN. Prof. Pan’s recent work focuses on Enter-Link, a digital platform that aims to integrate human-machine collaboration to break down language barriers, especially in legal and medical fields, including rare disease communication. Shengyi Xu is a PhD student in Department of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, where he commenced his studies in 2024. Prior to this, he earned his Master's degree from the same institution in 2021. With a strong background in the pharmaceutical industry, Mr. Xu has accumulated four years of experience in managing oncology pipeline clinical trial projects for a world-renowned pharmaceutical company. His academic pursuits in translation and interpreting are complemented by his professional experience in the healthcare sector.