Neural Correlates of Cognate Recognition in Urdu-English Bilinguals: A Case of Psycholinguistic and Neuroimaging Study

Bilingualism demands complex cognitive control and linguistic flexibility, particularly when navigating languages with distinct orthographic systems. This study investigates the neural correlates of cognate recognition in Urdu-English bilinguals, focusing on how phonological, semantic, and scriptural differences influence bilingual lexical access. While previous research has extensively explored cognate facilitation effects in alphabetical languages, the impact of cross-script differences on bilingual word recognition remains underexplored. Using a multi-method approach, we combined behavioral experiments, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and Event-Related Potentials (ERP) to examine lexical processing efficiency. A Lexical Decision Task (LDT) and Word Translation Task (WTT) were used to assess reaction times and accuracy, while fMRI and ERP data provided insights into neural activation patterns. Results confirmed a significant cognate facilitation effect, with faster reaction times (450ms vs. 520ms for non-cognates) and higher accuracy (92% vs. 84%). Neuroimaging findings revealed increased activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), highlighting the involvement of executive control and phonological integration. ERP analysis demonstrated reduced N400 amplitude for cognates, indicating lower semantic processing effort. These findings underscore that despite distinct scripts, cognate processing engages shared lexical representations, albeit with additional cognitive demands for script conversion. This research bridges psycholinguistics and neuroscience, advancing our understanding of bilingual lexical access, cross-linguistic interaction, and neural plasticity. Future studies should explore how language proficiency, script familiarity, and reading exposure modulate these effects, informing bilingual education and cognitive training strategies.