Neural Mechanisms Underlying Natural Text Reading

Abstract

The neural mechanisms underlying natural text reading are anchored in the extended language network, which integrates various brain regions to support a multi-level processing—ranging from lexical decoding to the construction of situation models. Neural activity during reading is shaped by text properties, reader characteristics, and their dynamic interactions. At the text level, narrative texts show greater involvement of social cognition within the default mode network (DMN), whereas expository texts show stronger activation of the frontoparietal control network (FPN) supporting information integration, demonstrating distinct neural processing mechanisms between the two text genres. Concurrently, the core informational dimensions embedded within the text further shape distinct and regionally specific patterns of neural activation. Moreover, these text-driven neural response profiles are themselves modulated by reader-specific factors, giving rise to individual differences in information integration efficiency, genre-dependent processing strategies, and the degree of neural synchronization. Finally, emerging methodological advances—including concurrent eye-tracking–functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recording, inter-subject correlation analysis, and large language model (LLM)-based computational modeling—have propelled a deeper understanding into natural text reading.