Localizing those anatomical structures of the brain that support language functions is one of the most exciting interdisciplinary goals of language inquiry, and one whose recent vigorous pursuit is bound to have far-reaching repercussions on the way we understand both human language behavior and human cognition in general.

Until the advent of neuroimaging techniques, post mortem data, neuropsychological case studies, studies of childhood language acquisition, and experimental tests were the only (albeit, indirect) evidence available to researchers in this area. Now, neuroimaging techniques allow for the in vivo examination of the brain, identifying regions of brain activity by measuring signals associated with blood flow increases in metabolically active tissues.

In this accessible paper, Scott and Wise unveil the secrets of using neuroimaging to study patterns of brain activity related to a language task (namely, reading), and warn us away from the risks of wrong design choices and unwarranted results. Since the neuroimaging technique measures relative differences in blood flow, rather than absolute levels, the brain activity imaged during the task is contrasted to a baseline condition. Selection of an appropriate baseline condition is of crucial importance; if this condition reveals a distinct activity pattern, these activated regions will be subtracted from the task condition, and may wrongly be assumed to be irrelevant.

A nonspecialist willing to use this fascinating technique should be aware of the tricks of the trade, in order to steer clear of these and other similar traps. The authors knowledgeably address a number of them.