Cerebello-Cerebral Pathways Contribute to Written Word Production

Written language production is a fundamental aspect of daily communication, yet the neural pathways supporting it are far less studied than those for spoken language production. This study evaluated the contributions of speech-production pathways to written word production, specifically focusing on the central processes of word spelling rather than the motor production processes that support handwriting. Seventy-three English-speaking, neurotypical adults completed a spelling-to-dictation task and underwent diffusion MRI scans. The bilateral cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathways (CTC) and frontal aslant tract (FAT) were identified in individual participants using probabilistic tractography and automated segmentation tools. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were computed along the trajectory of each tract and entered into correlation analyses with the spelling accuracy scores. A significant correlation was found between spelling accuracy scores and FA in the left CTC, which connects the left cerebellar hemisphere with the right cerebral hemisphere. This effect remained significant after controlling for spoken production measures. A similar trend was observed in the right homologous tract. In contrast, no significant correlations were identified between spelling accuracy scores and FA in the bilateral FAT. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, the involvement of cerebello-cerebral connections in spelling processes, aligning with the growing recognition regarding the role of the cerebellum in higher-order language functions. This effect did not generalize to the FAT, which may be relevant for more peripheral aspects of language production.