Language-related activations in the left prefrontal regions are differentially modulated by age, proficiency, and task demands.

It remains to be elucidated how cortical activations are modulated by factors of age, proficiency, and language task demands when mastering first language (L1) and a second language (L2). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we tested subjects aged 13 (the age 13 group) and 19 (the age 19 group), thereby comparing the cortical activations involved in past-tense verb identification with those involved in verb matching. We found that the activation in the dorsal triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) was lower, corresponding to a higher proficiency in English (L2) in the older subjects, suggesting that the proficiency level plays a major role in the activation of this region during L2 acquisition. Moreover, the lower activation in the triangular and orbital parts of the left IFG (F3t/F3O) for the irregular past tense corresponding to a higher proficiency in L2, together with the nonsignificant activation for the regular past tense when its performance almost reached perfection for age 19, suggests that the modulation of the left F3t/F3O activation reflects language task demands for identifying correct past-tense forms. On the other hand, the left F3t/F3O activation in Japanese (L1) for age 13 was significantly greater than that for age 19, despite the matched performances in L1. These results suggest that the left IFG subserves language-specific functions that are critically required when mastering any language.