1
|
Soshi T. Neural Coupling between Interhemispheric and Frontoparietal Functional Connectivity during Semantic Processing. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1601. [PMID: 38002560 PMCID: PMC10670303 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13111601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Interhemispheric and frontoparietal functional connectivity have been reported to increase during explicit information processing. However, it is unclear how and when interhemispheric and frontoparietal functional connectivity interact during explicit semantic processing. Here, we tested the neural coupling hypothesis that explicit semantic processing promotes neural activity in the nondominant right hemispheric areas, owing to synchronization with enhanced frontoparietal functional connectivity at later processing stages. We analyzed electroencephalogram data obtained using a semantic priming paradigm, which comprised visual priming and target words successively presented under direct or indirect attention to semantic association. Scalp potential analysis demonstrated that the explicit processing of congruent targets reduced negative event-related potentials, as previously reported. Current source density analysis showed that explicit semantic processing activated the right temporal area during later temporal intervals. Subsequent dynamic functional connectivity and neural coupling analyses revealed that explicit semantic processing increased the correlation between right temporal source activities and frontoparietal functional connectivity in later temporal intervals. These findings indicate that explicit semantic processing increases neural coupling between the interhemispheric and frontoparietal functional connectivity during later processing stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Soshi
- Department of English Language Studies, Faculty of Foreign Language Studies, Mejiro University, Shinjyuku, Tokyo 161-8539, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tsolakopoulos D, Kasselimis D, Laskaris N, Angelopoulou G, Papageorgiou G, Velonakis G, Varkanitsa M, Tountopoulou A, Vassilopoulou S, Goutsos D, Potagas C. Exploring Pragmatic Deficits in Relation to Theory of Mind and Executive Functions: Evidence from Individuals with Right Hemisphere Stroke. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1385. [PMID: 37891754 PMCID: PMC10605575 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Research investigating pragmatic deficits in individuals with right hemisphere damage focuses on identifying the potential mechanisms responsible for the nature of these impairments. Nonetheless, the presumed shared cognitive mechanisms that could account for these deficits have not yet been established through data-based evidence from lesion studies. This study aimed to examine the co-occurrence of pragmatic language deficits, Theory of Mind impairments, and executive functions while also exploring their associations with brain lesion sites. Twenty-five patients suffering from unilateral right hemisphere stroke and thirty-seven healthy participants were recruited for this study. The two groups were tested in pragmatics, Theory of Mind, and executive function tasks. Structural imaging data were also obtained for the identification of the lesion sites. The findings of this study suggest a potential convergence among the three aforementioned cognitive mechanisms. Moreover, we postulate a hypothesis for a neural circuitry for communication impairments observed in individuals with right hemisphere damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Tsolakopoulos
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 72-74 Vas. Sofias Av., 11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Kasselimis
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 72-74 Vas. Sofias Av., 11528 Athens, Greece
- Department of Psychology, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, 17671 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Laskaris
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 72-74 Vas. Sofias Av., 11528 Athens, Greece
- Department of Industrial Design and Production Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgia Angelopoulou
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 72-74 Vas. Sofias Av., 11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Papageorgiou
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 72-74 Vas. Sofias Av., 11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Velonakis
- Second Department of Radiology, Attikon General University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Varkanitsa
- Center for Brain Recovery, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Argyro Tountopoulou
- Stroke Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Sofia Vassilopoulou
- Stroke Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Dionysis Goutsos
- Department of Linguistics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Constantin Potagas
- Neuropsychology and Language Disorders Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 72-74 Vas. Sofias Av., 11528 Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hauptman M, Blank I, Fedorenko E. Non-literal language processing is jointly supported by the language and theory of mind networks: Evidence from a novel meta-analytic fMRI approach. Cortex 2023; 162:96-114. [PMID: 37023480 PMCID: PMC10210011 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Going beyond the literal meaning of language is key to communicative success. However, the mechanisms that support non-literal inferences remain debated. Using a novel meta-analytic approach, we evaluate the contribution of linguistic, social-cognitive, and executive mechanisms to non-literal interpretation. We identified 74 fMRI experiments (n = 1,430 participants) from 2001 to 2021 that contrasted non-literal language comprehension with a literal control condition, spanning ten phenomena (e.g., metaphor, irony, indirect speech). Applying the activation likelihood estimation approach to the 825 activation peaks yielded six left-lateralized clusters. We then evaluated the locations of both the individual-study peaks and the clusters against probabilistic functional atlases (cf. anatomical locations, as is typically done) for three candidate brain networks-the language-selective network (Fedorenko, Behr, & Kanwisher, 2011), which supports language processing, the Theory of Mind (ToM) network (Saxe & Kanwisher, 2003), which supports social inferences, and the domain-general Multiple-Demand (MD) network (Duncan, 2010), which supports executive control. These atlases were created by overlaying individual activation maps of participants who performed robust and extensively validated 'localizer' tasks that selectively target each network in question (n = 806 for language; n = 198 for ToM; n = 691 for MD). We found that both the individual-study peaks and the ALE clusters fell primarily within the language network and the ToM network. These results suggest that non-literal processing is supported by both i) mechanisms that process literal linguistic meaning, and ii) mechanisms that support general social inference. They thus undermine a strong divide between literal and non-literal aspects of language and challenge the claim that non-literal processing requires additional executive resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Hauptman
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| | - Idan Blank
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Linguistics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Program in Speech and Hearing in Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Belekou A, Papageorgiou C, Karavasilis E, Tsaltas E, Kelekis N, Klein C, Smyrnis N. Paradoxical Reasoning: An fMRI Study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:850491. [PMID: 35592168 PMCID: PMC9113220 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.850491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Paradoxes are a special form of reasoning leading to absurd inferences in contrast to logical reasoning that is used to reach valid conclusions. A functional MRI (fMRI) study was conducted to investigate the neural substrates of paradoxical and deductive reasoning. Twenty-four healthy participants were scanned using fMRI, while they engaged in reasoning tasks based on arguments, which were either Zeno’s like paradoxes (paradoxical reasoning) or Aristotelian arguments (deductive reasoning). Clusters of significant activation for paradoxical reasoning were located in bilateral inferior frontal and middle temporal gyrus. Clusters of significant activation for deductive reasoning were located in bilateral superior and inferior parietal lobe, precuneus, and inferior frontal gyrus. These results confirmed that different brain activation patterns are engaged for paradoxical vs. deductive reasoning providing a basis for future studies on human physiological as well as pathological reasoning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antigoni Belekou
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Sensorimotor Control, University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute "COSTAS STEFANIS", Athens, Greece.,First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Charalabos Papageorgiou
- First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratios Karavasilis
- Second Department of Radiology, General University Hospital "ATTIKON", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleftheria Tsaltas
- First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kelekis
- Second Department of Radiology, General University Hospital "ATTIKON", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christoph Klein
- Second Department of Psychiatry, General University Hospital "ATTIKON", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nikolaos Smyrnis
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Sensorimotor Control, University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute "COSTAS STEFANIS", Athens, Greece.,Second Department of Psychiatry, General University Hospital "ATTIKON", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Koller S, Müller N, Kauschke C. The Elephant in the Room: A Systematic Review of Stimulus Control in Neuro-Measurement Studies on Figurative Language Processing. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:791374. [PMID: 35126074 PMCID: PMC8814624 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.791374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The processing of metaphors and idioms has been the subject of neuroscientific research for several decades. However, results are often contradictory, which can be traced back to inconsistent terminology and stimulus control. In this systematic review of research methods, we analyse linguistic aspects of 116 research papers which used EEG, fMRI, PET, MEG, or NIRS to investigate the neural processing of the two figurative subtypes metaphor and idiom. We critically examine the theoretical foundations as well as stimulus control by performing a systematic literature synthesis according to the PRISMA guidelines. We explicitly do not analyse the findings of the studies but instead focus on four primary aspects: definitions of figurative language and its subtypes, linguistic theory behind the studies, control for factors influencing figurative language processing, and the relationship between theoretical and operational definitions. We found both a lack and a broad variety in existing definitions and operationalisation, especially in regard to familiarity and conventionality. We identify severe obstacles in the comparability and validation potential of the results of the papers in our review corpus. We propose the development of a consensus in fundamental terminology and more transparency in the reporting of stimulus design in the research on figurative language processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadine Müller
- Department of German Studies and Arts, Institute of German Linguistics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
In this chapter, the literature concerning the dissociation between concrete and abstract words is reviewed, with a specific focus on the role of the temporal lobes. A number of studies have demonstrated the so-called "concreteness effect," that is, the superior processing of concrete versus abstract words. However, some neuropsychological patients have been described with a reversal of concreteness effect, namely, a better performance with abstract than concrete words. Available data suggest that the most frequent causes of this reversed effect are herpes simplex encephalitis and semantic dementia, which typically affect bilaterally anterior temporal regions. Direct electrical stimulation of the left temporal pole further supports this correlation, while the neuroimaging literature is more controversial. In fact, data from neuroimaging studies show either that abstract and concrete noun processing at least partly relies on the activation of a common left-lateralized network, or that abstract word processing is supported by the activation of networks within the left inferior frontal gyrus and the middle temporal gyrus. In between abstract and concrete concepts are idioms, which are represented by concrete actions conveying abstract mental states and events. The involvement of the temporal lobes in processing this particular figure of language is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Papagno
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC and Center for Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kurada HZ, Arıca-Akkök E, Özaydın-Aksun Z, Şener HÖ, Lavidor M. The impact of transparency on hemispheric lateralization of idiom comprehension: An rTMS study. Neuropsychologia 2021; 163:108062. [PMID: 34655650 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous neuropsychological data have equivocal suggestions concerning hemispheric involvement during idiom comprehension. The possible contribution of idioms transparency to the lateralization of figurative language comprehension has not been investigated using an interference technique. To analyse the cortical lateralization of idiom transparency processing, we employed inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the processing of opaque idioms, transparent idioms, and non-idiomatic literal phrases. Based on the Coarse Semantic Coding theory, we predicted a greater right hemisphere involvement when processing opaque than transparent idioms. Eighteen young healthy participants underwent rTMS pulses at 1 Hz frequency, 110% of motor threshold intensity for 15 min (900 pulses) in two sessions at one-week intervals. In a semantic decision task, participants judged the relatedness of an idiom and a target word. The target word was figuratively or literally related to the idiom, or unrelated. The study also included non-idiomatic sentences. We found that left DLPFC functions are more critical for comprehension of opaque rather than transparent idioms when referring to the figurative associations of the idioms. Opaque idioms, in the context of their figurative meaning, rely more heavily on left hemisphere resources. This finding suggests that opaque idioms are seemingly processed as one unit. Taken together, we believe that the transparency of idiomatic expressions may play an important role in modulating hemispheric functions involved in figurative language processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hazel Zeynep Kurada
- Hacettepe University, Department of Speech and Language Therapy, Ankara, Turkey; Ankara University, Linguistics Department, Ankara, Turkey.
| | | | - Zerin Özaydın-Aksun
- Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - H Özden Şener
- Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Michal Lavidor
- Bar Ilan University, Department of Psychology, and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kyriacou M, Conklin K, Thompson D. When the Idiom Advantage Comes Up Short: Eye-Tracking Canonical and Modified Idioms. Front Psychol 2021; 12:675046. [PMID: 34408698 PMCID: PMC8364978 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.675046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The literature on idioms often talks about an “idiom advantage,” such that familiar idioms (spill the beans) are generally processed faster than comparable literal phrases (burn the beans). More recently, researchers have explored the processing of idiom modification and while a few studies indicate that familiarity benefits the processing of modified forms, the extent of this facilitation is unknown. In an eye-tracking study, we explored whether familiar idioms and modified versions with 1 or 2 adjectives {spill the [spicy, (red)] beans} are processed faster than matched literal phrases {burn the [spicy, (red)] beans} when both were preceded by a biasing context. The results showed that adjectives inserted in idioms induced longer fixations and were more likely to elicit a regression. However, idiom verbs and final words were processed with the same ease in all adjective conditions, implying that modifying idioms did not impede their processing. In contrast to the widely reported “idiom advantage,” the results demonstrated that canonical and modified idioms were slower to read relative to matched literal controls. This was taken to reflect the competition between an idiom’s literal and figurative meaning, and subsequently the need to select and integrate the contextually appropriate one. In contrast, meaning integration in literal, unambiguous phrases was easier. We argue that processing costs associated with meaning selection may only manifest when idioms are preceded by a biasing context that allows disambiguation to occur in the idiom region, and/or when literal control phrases are contextually appropriate and carefully matched to idioms. Thus, idiom recognition/activation may elicit the well attested idiom advantage, while meaning selection and integration may come at a cost, and idiom modifications may simply add to the cognitive load.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Kyriacou
- School of English, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kathy Conklin
- School of English, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Dominic Thompson
- School of English, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mariana B, Carolina L, Valeria A, Bautista EA, Silvia K, Lucía AF. Functional anatomy of idiomatic expressions. Brain Topogr 2021; 34:489-503. [PMID: 33948754 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-021-00843-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Idiomatic expressions (IE) are groups of words whose meaning is different from the sum of its components. Neural mechanisms underlying their processing are still debated, especially regarding lateralization, main structures involved, and whether this neural network is independent from the spoken language. To investigate the neural correlates of IE processing in healthy Spanish speakers.Twenty one native speakers of Spanish were asked to select one of 4 possible meanings for IE or literal sentences. fMRI scans were performed in a 3.0T scanner and processed by SPM 12 comparing IE vs. literal sentences. Laterality indices were calculated at the group level. IE activated a bilateral, slightly right-sided network comprising the pars triangularis and areas 9 and 10. In the left hemisphere (LH): the pars orbitalis, superior frontal, angular and fusiform gyrus. In the right hemisphere (RH): anterior insula, middle frontal, and superior temporal gyrus. This network reveals the importance of the RH, besides traditional LH areas, to comprehend IE. This agrees with the semantic coding model: the LH activates narrow semantic fields choosing one single meaning and ignoring others, and the RH detects distant semantic relationships, activating diffuse semantic fields. It is also in line with the configuration hypothesis: both meanings, literal and figurative, are executed simultaneously, until the literal meaning is definitively rejected and the figurative one is accepted. Processing IE requires the activation of fronto-temporal networks in both hemispheres. The results concur with previous studies in other languages, so these networks are independent from the spoken language. Understanding these mechanisms sheds light on IE processing difficulties in different clinical populations and must be considered when planning resective surgery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bendersky Mariana
- Living Anatomy Laboratory, 3rd Normal Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Paraguay 2155, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Lomlomdjian Carolina
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Department of Neurology, Hospital Austral, Pilar, Argentina
| | - Abusamra Valeria
- School of Philosophy and Literature, National Scientific and Technical Research Council-Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires University, Puan 480, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Elizalde Acevedo Bautista
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Biomedical Science, Austral University, Mariano Acosta 1611, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,IIMT (Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional), CONICET-Austral University, Derqui-Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kochen Silvia
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alba-Ferrara Lucía
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Biomedical Science, Austral University, Mariano Acosta 1611, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Idiomatic expressions evoke stronger emotional responses in the brain than literal sentences. Neuropsychologia 2019; 131:233-248. [PMID: 31152753 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Recent neuroscientific research shows that metaphors engage readers at the emotional level more strongly than literal expressions. What still remains unclear is what makes metaphors more engaging, and whether this generalises to all figurative expressions, no matter how conventionalised they are. This fMRI study aimed to investigate whether idiomatic expressions - the least creative part of figurative language - indeed trigger a higher affective resonance than literal expressions, and to explore possible interactions between activation in emotion-relevant neural structures and regions associated with figurative language processing. Participants silently read for comprehension a set of emotionally positive, negative and neutral idioms embedded in short sentences, and similarly valenced literal sentences. As in studies on metaphors, we found enhanced activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus and left amygdala in response to idioms, indexing stronger recruitment of executive control functions and enhanced emotional engagement, respectively. This suggests that the comprehension of even highly conventionalised and familiar figurative expressions, namely idioms, recruits regions involved in emotional processing. Furthermore, increased activation of the IFG interacted positively with activation in the amygdala, suggesting that the stronger cognitive engagement driven by idioms may in turn be coupled with stronger involvement at the emotional level.
Collapse
|
11
|
Yi YG, Kim DY, Shim WH, Oh JY, Kim HS, Jung M. Perilesional and homotopic area activation during proverb comprehension after stroke. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01202. [PMID: 30588768 PMCID: PMC6346665 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The mechanism of functional recovery in right hemisphere (RH) stroke patients when attempting to comprehend a proverb has not been identified. We previously reported that there is bilateral hemisphere involvement during proverb comprehension in the normal population. However, the underlying mechanisms of proverb comprehension following a right middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction have not yet been fully elucidated. METHODS We here compared the brain regions activated by literal sentences and by opaque or transparent proverbs in right MCA infarction patients using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Experimental stimuli included 18 opaque proverbs, 18 transparent proverbs, and 18 literal sentences that were presented pseudorandomly in 1 of 3 predesigned sequences. RESULTS Fifteen normal adults and 17 right MCA infarction patients participated in this study. The areas of the brain in the stroke patients involved in understanding a proverb compared with a literal sentence included the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and frontal pole, right anterior cingulate gyrus/paracingulate gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), middle temporal gyrus (MTG), precuneus, and supramarginal gyrus (SMG). When the proverbs were presented to these stroke patients in the comprehension tests, the left supramarginal, postcentral gyrus, and right paracingulate gyrus were activated for the opaque proverbs compared to the transparent proverbs. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the functional recovery of language in stroke patients can be explained by perilesional activation, which is thought to arise from the regulation of the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter system, and by homotopic area activation which has been characterized by decreased transcallosal inhibition and astrocyte involvement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- You Gyoung Yi
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dae Yul Kim
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Woo Hyun Shim
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joo Young Oh
- Asan Institute for Life Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ho Sung Kim
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minji Jung
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
A Quantitative Meta-analysis of Neuroimaging Studies of Pragmatic Language Comprehension: In Search of a Universal Neural Substrate. Neuroscience 2018; 395:60-88. [PMID: 30414881 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Pragmatics may be defined as the ability to communicate by expressing and recognizing intentions. The objective of this meta-analysis was to identify neural substrates for comprehension of pragmatic content in general, as well as the differences between pragmatic forms, and to describe if there is differential recruitment of brain areas according to natural language. This meta-analysis included 48 functional magnetic resonance imaging studies that reported pragmatic versus literal language contrasts. The pragmatic forms were speech acts, metaphors, idioms, and irony. Effect Size-Signed Differential Mapping software was used to calculate the mean for all contrasts as well as for each pragmatic form, and make comparisons among all forms. Due to variations in pragmatic content configuration such as natural language, stimulus modality, and writing systems, these variations were also analyzed with subgroups' analyses. The analyses found a highly reproducible bilateral fronto-temporal and medial prefrontal cortex network for pragmatic comprehension. Each pragmatic form showed a specific convergence pattern within this bilateral network. Natural language analyses showed that fronto-temporal regions were recruited by Germanic languages, while only left frontal areas were recruited by Romance languages, and right medial prefrontal cortex by Japanese. In conclusion, pragmatic language comprehension involves classical language areas in bilateral perisylvian regions, along with the medial prefrontal cortex, an area involved in social cognition. Together, these areas could represent the "pragmatic language network". Nonetheless, when proposing a universal neural substrate for all forms of pragmatic language, the diversity among studies in terms of pragmatic form, and configuration, must be taken into consideration.
Collapse
|
13
|
Saban-Bezalel R, Coral N, Mashal N. Increased reliance on a right hemispheric mechanism during idiom processing in adults with dyslexia. Laterality 2018; 24:417-431. [PMID: 30301445 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2018.1533023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies on adults with dyslexia (DYS) have indicated difficulties in the comprehension of figurative language. Using the divided visual field paradigm, the present study investigated the hemispheric processing of idioms among 22 adults with DYS and 21 regular reader (RR) adults. Participants performed a lexical decision task for a target word related to either a literal or a figurative interpretation of an idiom. The results show that whereas the RR group demonstrated a bilateral pattern of hemispheric processing of idiomatic meanings, the DYS group showed a right hemisphere (RH) advantage. Furthermore, both groups demonstrated the typical RH advantage in processing the literal meanings of idioms. Our findings indicate increased recruitment of the RH in dyslexia, probably due to differences in cerebral language areas or weaker LH semantic processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Saban-Bezalel
- a Department of Communication Disorders , Ariel University , Ariel , Israel.,b The School of Education Bar Ilan University , Ramat Gan , Israel
| | - Naama Coral
- b The School of Education Bar Ilan University , Ramat Gan , Israel
| | - Nira Mashal
- b The School of Education Bar Ilan University , Ramat Gan , Israel.,c Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center , Bar Ilan University , Ramat Gan , Israel
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Rossetti I, Brambilla P, Papagno C. Metaphor Comprehension in Schizophrenic Patients. Front Psychol 2018; 9:670. [PMID: 29867648 PMCID: PMC5954116 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
People with schizophrenia often exhibit difficulties to comprehend figurative expressions, such as irony, proverbs, metaphors and idioms, with a general proneness to neglect the figurative meaning and to accept the more literal one. This inability is usually referred to as concretism and it constitutes a clinical manifestation of the broader language dysfunction called Formal Thought Disorder. The current review focuses on the neuropsychological and neuroanatomical underpinnings of schizophrenics’ misinterpretation of a subgroup of figurative expressions, i.e., metaphors. Metaphors are heterogeneous in nature, classifiable according to various criteria; for instance, metaphors can be conventional and familiar, or conversely, novel and unusual. These linguistic distinctions are substantial because the comprehension of the different types of metaphor entails partially different cognitive strategies and neural substrates. This review gathers studies that have directly investigated which neurocognitive deficits explain the inefficient comprehension of metaphor in schizophrenia. Several impairments have been put forward, such as general intelligence, executive functions and theory of mind deficits. Moreover, the neural correlates of metaphor comprehension in schizophrenia, like the left inferior/medial frontal gyrus and the temporal lobe, match those cortices affected by the neuropathology of schizophrenia. Even though the causal defective mechanism is still a matter of investigation, we provide an attempt to integrate existing findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ileana Rossetti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Costanza Papagno
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Center for Mind/Brain Sciences and Centro di Riabilitazione Neurocognitiva, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cacciari C, Corrardini P, Ferlazzo F. Cognitive and Personality Components Underlying Spoken Idiom Comprehension in Context. An Exploratory Study. Front Psychol 2018; 9:659. [PMID: 29765350 PMCID: PMC5938611 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this exploratory study, we investigated whether and to what extent individual differences in cognitive and personality variables are associated with spoken idiom comprehension in context. Language unimpaired participants were enrolled in a cross-modal lexical decision study in which semantically ambiguous Italian idioms (i.e., strings with both a literal and an idiomatic interpretation as, for instance, break the ice), predictable or unpredictable before the string offset, were embedded in idiom-biasing contexts. To explore the contributions of different cognitive and personality components, participants also completed a series of tests respectively assessing general speed, inhibitory control, short-term and working memory, cognitive flexibility, crystallized and fluid intelligence, and personality. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that online idiom comprehension was associated with the participants' working memory, inhibitory control and crystallized verbal intelligence, an association modulated by idiom type. Also personality-related variables (State Anxiety and Openness to Experience) were associated with idiom comprehension, although in marginally significant ways. These results contribute to the renewed interest on how individual variability modulates language comprehension, and for the first time document contributions of individual variability on lexicalized, high frequency multi-word expressions as idioms adding new knowledge to the existing evidence on metaphor and sarcasm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cacciari
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Paola Corrardini
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Ferlazzo
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome-Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Tian F, Hou Y, Zhu W, Dietrich A, Zhang Q, Yang W, Chen Q, Sun J, Jiang Q, Cao G. Getting the Joke: Insight during Humor Comprehension - Evidence from an fMRI Study. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1835. [PMID: 29093693 PMCID: PMC5651280 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As a high-level cognitive activity, humor comprehension requires incongruity detection and incongruity resolution, which then elicits an insight moment. The purpose of the study was to explore the neural basis of humor comprehension, particularly the moment of insight, by using both characters and language-free cartoons in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. The results showed that insight involving jokes elicited greater activation in language and semantic-related brain regions as well as a variety of additional regions, such as the superior frontal gyrus (SFG), the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), the superior temporal gyrus (STG), the temporoparietal junctions (TPJ), the hippocampus and visual areas. These findings indicate that the MTG might play a role in incongruity detection, while the SFG, IFG and the TPJ might be involved in incongruity detection. The passive insight event elicited by jokes appears to be mediated by a limited number of brain areas. Our study showed that the brain regions associated with humor comprehension were not affected by the type of stimuli and that humor and insight shared common brain areas. These results indicate that one experiences a feeling of insight during humor comprehension, which contributes to the understanding of humor comprehension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuling Hou
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Arne Dietrich
- Department of Psychology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Qinglin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qunlin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiangzhou Sun
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guikang Cao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Yi YG, Kim DY, Shim WH, Oh JY, Kim SH, Kim HS. Neural correlates of Korean proverb processing: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00829. [PMID: 29075575 PMCID: PMC5651399 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Korean language is based on a syntactic system that is different from other languages. This study investigated the processing area of the Korean proverb in comparison with the literal sentence using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, the effect of opacity and transparency of proverbs on the activation pattern, when familiarity is set to the same condition, was also examined. METHODS The experimental stimuli included 36 proverbs and 18 literal sentences. A cohort of 15 healthy participants silently read each sentence for 6 s. A total of 18 opaque proverbs, 18 transparent proverbs, and 18 literal sentences were presented pseudo-randomly in one of three predesigned sequences. RESULTS Compared with the literal sentences, a significant activation pattern was observed in the left hemisphere, including the left inferior frontal gyrus, in association with the proverbs. Compared with the transparent proverbs, opaque proverbs elicited more activation in the right supramarginal gyrus and precuneus. CONCLUSIONS Our study confirmed that the left inferior frontal gyrus mediates the retrieval and/or selection of semantic knowledge in the Korean language. The present findings indicated that the right precuneus and the right supramarginal gyrus may be involved in abstract language processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- You Gyoung Yi
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Seoul National University Hospital Jongno-gu, Seoul Korea
| | - Dae Yul Kim
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Asan Medical Center Songpa-gu Seoul Korea
| | - Woo Hyun Shim
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology University of Ulsan College of Medicine Korea
| | - Joo Young Oh
- Asan Institute for Life Science Asan Medical Center University of Ulsan College of Medicine Seoul Korea
| | - Sung Hyun Kim
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Asan Medical Center Songpa-gu Seoul Korea
| | - Ho Sung Kim
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology University of Ulsan College of Medicine Korea
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Saban-Bezalel R, Hess S, Dolfin D, Hermesh H, Vishne T, Mashal N. Hemispheric processing of idioms in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2017.1325893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Saban-Bezalel
- School of Education, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Shmuel Hess
- Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Dror Dolfin
- Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Hagai Hermesh
- Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medical, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Tali Vishne
- Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, Bnei Brak, Israel
| | - Nira Mashal
- Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, Bnei Brak, Israel
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Häuser KI, Titone DA, Baum SR. The role of the ventro-lateral prefrontal cortex in idiom comprehension: An rTMS study. Neuropsychologia 2016; 91:360-370. [PMID: 27609125 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Previous research is equivocal with respect to the neural substrates of idiom processing. Particularly elusive is the role of the left ventro-lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), a region implicated in semantic control generally. Although fMRI studies have shown that the left VLPFC is active during idiom processing (see Rapp et al. (2012), for review), rTMS studies have failed to corroborate a clear role of this prefrontal region (e.g., Oliveri et al., 2004). We investigated this issue using a semantic meaningfulness judgment task that compared idiom comprehension following rTMS-stimulation to the left VLPFC relative to a control site (vertex). We also investigated whether individual differences in general cognitive capacity among comprehenders modulated the effects of rTMS. The results indicate that left VLPFC stimulation particularly affected the processing of low-familiar idioms, possibly because these items involve a maximal semantic conflict between a salient literal and less-known figurative meaning. Of note, this pattern only emerged for comprehenders with higher cognitive control capacity, possibly because they were more likely to activate or maintain multiple semantic representations during idiom processing, which required VLPFC integrity. Taken together, the results support the importance of the left VLPFC to idiom processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja I Häuser
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Debra A Titone
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Shari R Baum
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Mitchell RLC, Vidaki K, Lavidor M. The role of left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in semantic processing: A transcranial direct current stimulation study. Neuropsychologia 2016; 91:480-489. [PMID: 27553267 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
For complex linguistic strings such as idioms, making a decision as to the correct meaning may require complex top-down cognitive control such as the suppression of incorrect alternative meanings. In the study presented here, we used transcranial direct current stimulation to test the hypothesis that a domain general dorsolateral prefrontal cognitive control network is involved in constraining the complex processing involved. Specifically, we sought to test prominent theoretical stances on the division of labour across dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the left- and right-hemispheres of the brain, including the role of salience and fine vs. coarse semantic coding. 32 healthy young adult participants were randomly allocated to one of two stimulation montage groups (LH anodal/RH cathodal or RH anodal/LH cathodal). Participants were tested twice, completing a semantic decision task after either receiving active or sham stimulation. The semantic decision task required participants to judge the relatedness of an idiom and a target word. The target word was figuratively related, literally related, or unrelated to the idiom. Control non-literal non-idiomatic sentences were also included that only had a literal meaning. The results showed that left-hemisphere dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is highly involved in processing figurative language, whereas both left- and right- dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributed to literal language processing. In comparison, semantic processing for the non-idiomatic control sentences did not require domain general cognitive control as it relates to suppression of the rejected alternative meaning. The results are discussed in terms of the interplay between need for domain general cognitive control in understanding the meaning of complex sentences, hemispheric differences in semantic processing, and salience detection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L C Mitchell
- Institute of Psychiatry Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.
| | - Kleio Vidaki
- Institute of Psychiatry Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Michal Lavidor
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Israel; The Gonda Brain Research Centre, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lee SH, Booth JR, Chou TL. Temporo-parietal connectivity uniquely predicts reading change from childhood to adolescence. Neuroimage 2016; 142:126-134. [PMID: 27377221 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.06.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown that left posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) is a core node in the semantic network, and cross-sectional studies have shown that activation in this region changes developmentally and is related to skill measured concurrently. However, it is not known how functional connectivity with this region changes developmentally, and whether functional connectivity is related to future gains in reading. We conducted a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in 30 typically developing children (aged 8-15) to examine whether initial brain measures, including activation and connectivity, can predict future behavioral improvement in a semantic judgment task. Participants were scanned on entering the study (time 1, T1) and a follow-up period of 2years (time 2, T2). Character pairs were arranged in a continuous variable according to association strength (i.e. strong versus weak), and participants were asked to determine if these visually presented pairs were related in meaning. Our results demonstrated greater developmental changes from time 1 to time 2 for weaker association pairs in the left pMTG for the children (aged 8-11) as compared to the adolescents (aged 12-15). Moreover, the results showed greater developmental changes from time 1 to time 2 for weaker association pairs in connectivity between the pMTG and inferior parietal lobule (IPL) for the children as compared to the adolescents. Furthermore, a hierarchical stepwise regression model revealed that connectivity between the pMTG and IPL in weak association pairs was uniquely predictive of behavioral improvement from time 1 to time 2 for the children, but not the adolescents. Taken together, the activation results suggest relatively rapid development before adolescence of semantic representations in the pMTG. Moreover, the connectivity results of pMTG with IPL tentatively suggest that early development of semantic representations may be facilitated by enhanced engagement of phonological short-term memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Hui Lee
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Tai-Li Chou
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Linguistics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Hemispheric involvement in the processing of Chinese idioms: An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia 2016; 87:12-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
23
|
Matsui T, Nakamura T, Utsumi A, Sasaki AT, Koike T, Yoshida Y, Harada T, Tanabe HC, Sadato N. The role of prosody and context in sarcasm comprehension: Behavioral and fMRI evidence. Neuropsychologia 2016; 87:74-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
24
|
Abstract
In this review, we focus on the ability of people with schizophrenia to correctly perceive the meaning of idioms; figurative language expressions in which intended meaning is not derived from the meaning of constituent words. We collate evidence on how idiom perception is impaired, ascertain the clinical relevance of this impairment, and consider possible psychological and neural mechanisms behind the impairment. In reviewing extant literature, we searched the PubMed database, from 1975-2014, focussing on articles that directly concerned schizophrenia and idioms, with follow up searches to explore the viability of possible underlying mechanisms. We learn that there is clear evidence of impairment, with a tendency to err towards literal interpretations unless the figurative meaning is salient, and despite contextual cues to figurative interpretations. Given the importance of idioms in everyday language, the potential impact is significant. Clinically, impaired idiom perception primarily relates to positive symptoms of schizophrenia, but also to negative symptoms. The origins of the impairment remain speculation, with impaired executive function, impaired semantic functions, and impaired context processing all proposed to explain the phenomenon. We conclude that a possible contributory mechanism at the neural level is an impaired dorsolateral prefrontal cortex system for cognitive control over semantic processing.
Collapse
|
25
|
A job interview in the MRI scanner: How does indirectness affect addressees and overhearers? Neuropsychologia 2015; 76:79-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
26
|
Integration of cognitive and affective networks in humor comprehension. Neuropsychologia 2014; 65:137-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
27
|
Pesciarelli F, Gamberoni T, Ferlazzo F, Lo Russo L, Pedrazzi F, Melati E, Cacciari C. Is the comprehension of idiomatic sentences indeed impaired in paranoid Schizophrenia? A window into semantic processing deficits. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:799. [PMID: 25346676 PMCID: PMC4190991 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia patients have been reported to be more impaired in comprehending non-literal than literal language since early studies on proverbs. Preference for literal rather than figurative interpretations continues to be documented. The main aim of this study was to establish whether patients are indeed able to use combinatorial semantic processing to comprehend literal sentences and both combinatorial analysis, and retrieval of pre-stored meanings to comprehend idiomatic sentences. The study employed a sentence continuation task in which subjects were asked to decide whether a target word was a sensible continuation of a previous sentence fragment to investigate idiomatic and literal sentence comprehension in patients with paranoid schizophrenia. Patients and healthy controls were faster in accepting sensible continuations than in rejecting non-sensible ones in both literal and idiomatic sentences. Patients were as accurate as controls in comprehending literal and idiomatic sentences, but they were overall slower than controls in all conditions. Once the contribution of cognitive covariates was partialled out, the response times (RTs) to sensible idiomatic continuations of patients did not significantly differ from those of controls. This suggests that the state of residual schizophrenia did not contribute to slower processing of sensible idioms above and beyond the cognitive deficits that are typically associated with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Pesciarelli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neurological Sciences, University of Modena Modena, Italy
| | - Tania Gamberoni
- Centro Salute Mentale Pavullo Modena, Italy ; Villa Igea Private Hospital Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Ferlazzo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Cristina Cacciari
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neurological Sciences, University of Modena Modena, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Smirnov D, Glerean E, Lahnakoski JM, Salmi J, Jääskeläinen IP, Sams M, Nummenmaa L. Fronto-parietal network supports context-dependent speech comprehension. Neuropsychologia 2014; 63:293-303. [PMID: 25218167 PMCID: PMC4410787 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Knowing the context of a discourse is an essential prerequisite for comprehension. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to disclose brain networks supporting context-dependent speech comprehension. During fMRI, 20 participants listened to 1-min spoken narratives preceded by pictures that were either contextually matching or mismatching with the narrative. Matching pictures increased narrative comprehension, decreased hemodynamic activity in Broca׳s area, and enhanced its functional connectivity with left anterior superior frontal gyrus, bilateral inferior parietal cortex, as well as anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Further, the anterior (BA 45) and posterior (BA 44) portions of Broca׳s area differed in their functional connectivity patterns. Both BA 44 and BA 45 have shown increased connectivity with right angular gyrus and supramarginal gyrus. Whereas BA 44 showed increased connectivity with left angular gyrus, left inferior/middle temporal gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, BA 45 showed increased connectivity with right posterior cingulate cortex, right anterior inferior frontal gyrus, lateral occipital cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. Our results suggest that a fronto-parietal functional network supports context-dependent narrative comprehension, and that Broca׳s area is involved in resolving ambiguity from speech when appropriate contextual cues are lacking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Smirnov
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland.
| | - Enrico Glerean
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Juha M Lahnakoski
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Juha Salmi
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Iiro P Jääskeläinen
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Mikko Sams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; AMI Centre, AALTO NEUROIMAGING, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; Brain Research Unit, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Oh A, Duerden EG, Pang EW. The role of the insula in speech and language processing. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2014; 135:96-103. [PMID: 25016092 PMCID: PMC4885738 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Revised: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/15/2014] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Lesion and neuroimaging studies indicate that the insula mediates motor aspects of speech production, specifically, articulatory control. Although it has direct connections to Broca's area, the canonical speech production region, the insula is also broadly connected with other speech and language centres, and may play a role in coordinating higher-order cognitive aspects of speech and language production. The extent of the insula's involvement in speech and language processing was assessed using the Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) method. Meta-analyses of 42 fMRI studies with healthy adults were performed, comparing insula activation during performance of language (expressive and receptive) and speech (production and perception) tasks. Both tasks activated bilateral anterior insulae. However, speech perception tasks preferentially activated the left dorsal mid-insula, whereas expressive language tasks activated left ventral mid-insula. Results suggest distinct regions of the mid-insula play different roles in speech and language processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oh
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Emma G Duerden
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Papagno C, Mattavelli G, Cattaneo Z, Romito L, Albanese A. Ambiguous idiom processing in Parkinson's disease patients. Cogn Neuropsychol 2014; 30:495-506. [PMID: 24479736 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2013.876397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Patients affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) can provide crucial information about the involvement of the motor system and prefrontal cortex in processing idioms including action verbs, since dopamine modulates the activity of these structures, and, consequently, different levels of this neurotransmitter can induce different cognitive impairments. In order to investigate the ability to process ambiguous idioms containing an action verb in patients, we asked 15 PD patients, in both OFF- and ON-phases, and 15 healthy matched participants to judge the plausibility of literal and idiomatic sentences, each presented at a self-paced rate. Patients in OFF-phase were faster in reading idiomatic than literal sentences, supporting the view that the motor system is not involved in online idiom processing. However, patients during OFF-phase were impaired in judging the plausibility of idiomatic ambiguous sentences, possibly due to the reduction of dopamine in prefrontal regions. The involvement of the motor system was evident in the ON-phase for literal sentences, suggesting that motor activation is strictly dependent on the context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Papagno
- a Dipartimento di Psicologia , Università di Milano-Bicocca , Milano , Italy
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
She runs, the road runs, my mind runs, bad blood runs between us: Literal and figurative motion verbs: An fMRI study. Neuroimage 2013; 83:361-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.06.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Revised: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
|
32
|
Cieślicka AB. Do nonnative language speakers chew the fat and spill the beans with different brain hemispheres? Investigating idiom decomposability with the divided visual field paradigm. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2013; 42:475-503. [PMID: 23161392 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-012-9232-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore possible cerebral asymmetries in the processing of decomposable and nondecomposable idioms by fluent nonnative speakers of English. In the study, native language (Polish) and foreign language (English) decomposable and nondecomposable idioms were embedded in ambiguous (neutral) and unambiguous (biasing figurative meaning) context and presented centrally, followed by laterally presented target words related to the figurative meaning of the idiom or literal meaning of the last word of the idiom. The target appeared either immediately at sentence offset (Experiment 1), or 400 ms (Experiment 2) after sentence offset. Results are inconsistent with the Idiom Decomposition Hypothesis (Gibbs et al. in Mem Cogn 17:58-68, 1989a; J Mem Lang 28:576-593, 1989b) and only partially consistent with the idea of the differential cerebral involvement in processing (non)decomposable idioms [the Fine/Coarse Coding Theory, Beeman (Right hemisphere language comprehension: perspectives from cognitive neuroscience, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ, 1998)]. A number of factors, rather than compositionality per se, emerge as crucial in determining idiom processing, such as language status (native vs. nonnative), salience, or context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Cieślicka
- Department of Psychology and Communication, Texas A&M International University, 5201 University Boulevard, Laredo, TX, 78041-1900, USA,
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Noonan KA, Jefferies E, Visser M, Lambon Ralph MA. Going beyond Inferior Prefrontal Involvement in Semantic Control: Evidence for the Additional Contribution of Dorsal Angular Gyrus and Posterior Middle Temporal Cortex. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 25:1824-50. [PMID: 23859646 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 309] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Semantic cognition requires a combination of semantic representations and executive control processes to direct activation in a task- and time-appropriate fashion [Jefferies, E., & Lambon Ralph, M. A. Semantic impairment in stroke aphasia versus semantic dementia: A case-series comparison. Brain, 129, 2132–2147, 2006]. We undertook a formal meta-analysis to investigate which regions within the large-scale semantic network are specifically associated with the executive component of semantic cognition. Previous studies have described in detail the role of left ventral pFC in semantic regulation. We examined 53 studies that contrasted semantic tasks with high > low executive requirements to determine whether cortical regions beyond the left pFC show the same response profile to executive semantic demands. Our findings revealed that right pFC, posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) and dorsal angular gyrus (bordering intraparietal sulcus) were also consistently recruited by executively demanding semantic tasks, demonstrating patterns of activation that were highly similar to the left ventral pFC. These regions overlap with the lesions in aphasic patients who exhibit multimodal semantic impairment because of impaired regulatory control (semantic aphasia)—providing important convergence between functional neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies of semantic cognition. Activation in dorsal angular gyrus and left ventral pFC was consistent across all types of executive semantic manipulation, regardless of whether the task was receptive or expressive, whereas pMTG activation was only observed for manipulation of control demands within receptive tasks. Second, we contrasted executively demanding tasks tapping semantics and phonology. Our findings revealed substantial overlap between the two sets of contrasts within left ventral pFC, suggesting this region underpins domain-general control mechanisms. In contrast, we observed relative specialization for semantic control within pMTG as well as the most ventral aspects of left pFC (BA 47), consistent with our proposal of a distributed network underpinning semantic control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krist A. Noonan
- 1Research Institute for the Care of Older People, Bath, UK
- 2University of Manchester
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Murphy P, Shallice T, Robinson G, MacPherson SE, Turner M, Woollett K, Bozzali M, Cipolotti L. Impairments in proverb interpretation following focal frontal lobe lesions. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:2075-86. [PMID: 23850600 PMCID: PMC4020551 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Revised: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The proverb interpretation task (PIT) is often used in clinical settings to evaluate frontal "executive" dysfunction. However, only a relatively small number of studies have investigated the relationship between frontal lobe lesions and performance on the PIT. We compared 52 patients with unselected focal frontal lobe lesions with 52 closely matched healthy controls on a proverb interpretation task. Participants also completed a battery of neuropsychological tests, including a fluid intelligence task (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices). Lesions were firstly analysed according to a standard left/right sub-division. Secondly, a finer-grained analysis compared the performance of patients with medial, left lateral and right lateral lesions with healthy controls. Thirdly, a contrast of specific frontal subgroups compared the performance of patients with medial lesions with patients with lateral frontal lesions. The results showed that patients with left frontal lesions were significantly impaired on the PIT, while in patients with right frontal lesions the impairments approached significance. Medial frontal patients were the only frontal subgroup impaired on the PIT, relative to healthy controls and lateral frontal patients. Interestingly, an error analysis indicated that a significantly higher number of concrete responses were found in the left lateral subgroup compared to healthy controls. We found no correlation between scores on the PIT and on the fluid intelligence task. Overall our results suggest that specific regions of the frontal lobes contribute to the performance on the PIT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Murphy
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Box 37 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Rapp AM, Mutschler DE, Erb M. Where in the brain is nonliteral language? A coordinate-based meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. Neuroimage 2012; 63:600-10. [PMID: 22759997 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2011] [Revised: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Rapp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tuebingen, Calwerstrasse 14, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bohrn IC, Altmann U, Jacobs AM. Looking at the brains behind figurative language—A quantitative meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on metaphor, idiom, and irony processing. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:2669-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2012] [Revised: 05/28/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
37
|
Sela T, Ivry RB, Lavidor M. Prefrontal control during a semantic decision task that involves idiom comprehension: a transcranial direct current stimulation study. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:2271-80. [PMID: 22687558 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2011] [Revised: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Language processing and comprehension can be understood in terms of both linguistic and non-linguistic processes. To make a decision regarding the meaning of complex linguistic inputs such as idiomatic expressions, one has to perform multiple complex cognitive operations such as prediction, selection and inhibition. In the current study, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to test the hypotheses that (I) a prefrontal cognitive control network is involved in directing decisions required for the comprehension of idioms, and (II) that this prefrontal control may be biased by motivational mechanisms. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two stimulation groups (LH anodal/RH cathodal or RH anodal/LH Cathodal). Over a one-week interval, participants were tested twice, completing a semantic decision task after either receiving active or sham stimulation. The semantic decision task required participants to judge the relatedness of an idiom and a target word, with the idiom being predictable or not. The target word was either figuratively related, literally related, or unrelated to the idiom. Each participant also completed a trait motivation questionnaire and a control task. After DC stimulation, a general deceleration in reaction times to targets was found. In addition, the results indicate that the neural enhancement of a left lateralized prefrontal network improved performance when participants had to make decisions to figurative targets of highly predictable idioms, whereas the neural enhancement of the opposite network improved participants' performance to literal targets of unpredictable idioms. These effects were more pronounced in individuals rated as being most sensitive to reward likelihood. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive control over semantic processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tal Sela
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Shibata M, Toyomura A, Motoyama H, Itoh H, Kawabata Y, Abe JI. Does simile comprehension differ from metaphor comprehension? A functional MRI study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2012; 121:254-260. [PMID: 22534570 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2011] [Revised: 03/17/2012] [Accepted: 03/22/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Since Aristotle, people have believed that metaphors and similes express the same type of figurative meaning, despite the fact that they are expressed with different sentence patterns. In contrast, recent psycholinguistic models have suggested that metaphors and similes may promote different comprehension processes. In this study, we investigated the neural substrates involved in the comprehension of metaphor and simile using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate whether simile comprehension differs from metaphor comprehension or not. In the metaphor and simile sentence conditions, higher activation was seen in the left inferior frontal gyrus. This result suggests that the activation in both metaphor and simile conditions indicates similar patterns in the left frontal region. The results also suggest that similes elicit higher levels of activation in the medial frontal region which might be related to inference processes, whereas metaphors elicit more right-sided prefrontal activation which might be related to figurative language comprehension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Midori Shibata
- Department of Psychology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Rapp AM, Erb M, Grodd W, Bartels M, Markert K. Neural correlates of metonymy resolution. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2011; 119:196-205. [PMID: 21889196 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2011.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2010] [Revised: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 07/21/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Metonymies are exemplary models for complex semantic association processes at the sentence level. We investigated processing of metonymies using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During an 1.5Tesla fMRI scan, 14 healthy subjects (12 female) read 124 short German sentences with either literal (like "Africa is arid"), metonymic ("Africa is hungry"), or nonsense ("Africa is woollen") content. Sentences were constructed so that they obey certain grammatical, semantic, and plausibility conditions and were matched for word frequency, semantic association, length and syntactic structure. We concentrated on metonymies that were not yet fossilised; we also examined a wide variety of metonymic readings. Reading metonymies relative to literal sentences revealed signal changes in a predominantly left-lateralised fronto-temporal network with maxima in the left and right inferior frontal as well as left middle temporal gyri. Left inferior frontal activation may reflect both inference processes and access to world knowledge during metonymy resolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Rapp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tuebingen, Osianderstrasse 26, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Cacciari C, Bolognini N, Senna I, Pellicciari MC, Miniussi C, Papagno C. Literal, fictive and metaphorical motion sentences preserve the motion component of the verb: a TMS study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2011; 119:149-157. [PMID: 21684590 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2011.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2011] [Revised: 05/09/2011] [Accepted: 05/23/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We used Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to assess whether reading literal, non-literal (i.e., metaphorical, idiomatic) and fictive motion sentences modulates the activity of the motor system. Sentences were divided into three segments visually presented one at a time: the noun phrase, the verb and the final part of the sentence. Single pulse-TMS was delivered at the end of the sentence over the leg motor area in the left hemisphere and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the right gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles. MEPs were larger when participants were presented with literal, fictive and metaphorical motion sentences than with idiomatic motion or mental sentences. These results suggest that the excitability of the motor system is modulated by the motor component of the verb, which is preserved in fictive and metaphorical motion sentences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Cacciari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio-Emilia, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Shibata M, Abe JI, Itoh H, Shimada K, Umeda S. Neural processing associated with comprehension of an indirect reply during a scenario reading task. Neuropsychologia 2011; 49:3542-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2010] [Revised: 07/27/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
42
|
Baggio G, Hagoort P. The balance between memory and unification in semantics: A dynamic account of the N400. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/01690965.2010.542671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
43
|
Rapp AM, Mutschler DE, Wild B, Erb M, Lengsfeld I, Saur R, Grodd W. Neural correlates of irony comprehension: the role of schizotypal personality traits. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2010; 113:1-12. [PMID: 20071019 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2009.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2009] [Revised: 10/06/2009] [Accepted: 11/21/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
To detect that a conversational turn is intended to be ironic is a difficult challenge in everyday language comprehension. Most authors suggested a theory of mind deficit is crucial for irony comprehension deficits in psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia; however, the underlying pathophysiology and neurobiology are unknown and recent research highlights the possible role of language comprehension abnormalities. Fifteen female right-handed subjects completed personality testing as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropsychology. Subjects were recruited from the general population. No subject had a lifetime history of relevant psychiatric disorder; however, subjects differed in their score on the German version of the schizotypal personality questionnaire (SPQ). During fMRI scans, the subjects silently read 44 short text vignettes that ended in either an ironic or a literal statement. Imaging was performed using a 3 T Siemens scanner. The influence of schizotypy on brain activation was investigated by using an SPM5 regression analysis with the SPQ total score and the SPQ cognitive-perceptual score as regressors. Reading ironic in contrast to literal sentences activated a bilateral network including left medial prefrontal and left inferior parietal gyri. During reading of ironic sentences, brain activation in the middle temporal gyrus of both hemispheres showed a significant negative association with the SPQ total score and the SPQ cognitive-perceptual score. Significant positive correlation with the SPQ total score was present in the left inferior frontal gyrus. We conclude schizotypal personality traits are associated with a dysfunctional lateral temporal language rather than a theory of mind network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A M Rapp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tuebingen, Osianderstrasse 26, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Schettino A, Lauro LR, Crippa F, Anselmetti S, Cavallaro R, Papagno C. The comprehension of idiomatic expressions in schizophrenic patients. Neuropsychologia 2009; 48:1032-40. [PMID: 19963000 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2009] [Revised: 11/03/2009] [Accepted: 11/30/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent fMRI and TMS studies on idiom comprehension have shown that the prefrontal cortex is involved in idiom processing. Since schizophrenic patients exhibit prefrontal structural changes and dysexecutive behavioural deficits, we hypothesised an impairment in idiom comprehension, correlating with performance on executive tasks. In this study, idiom comprehension was evaluated by means of a sentence-to-picture-matching task in 45 schizophrenic patients and 45 control subjects, matched for age and educational level. The task included 62 idiomatic and 62 literal sentences. Participants were presented with a written sentence, either literal or idiomatic, followed by a picture, which appeared below the sentence. They were instructed to judge whether the picture represented the meaning of the sentence or not, and responded by pressing one of two response keys. Half of the items correctly represented the meaning, half did not. Reaction times and accuracy were measured. Schizophrenics were impaired in both types of idiomatic sentence. However, their performance was particularly poor in the case of ambiguous idioms. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Digit Sequencing were the unique predictors of performance for idiom comprehension in general, while thought disorganization was not. Cognitive decline either did not appear to predict performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Schettino
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
|
46
|
Proverbio AM, Crotti N, Zani A, Adorni R. The role of left and right hemispheres in the comprehension of idiomatic language: an electrical neuroimaging study. BMC Neurosci 2009; 10:116. [PMID: 19754932 PMCID: PMC2749859 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-10-116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2009] [Accepted: 09/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The specific role of the two cerebral hemispheres in processing idiomatic language is highly debated. While some studies show the involvement of the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG), other data support the crucial role of right-hemispheric regions, and particularly of the middle/superior temporal area. Time-course and neural bases of literal vs. idiomatic language processing were compared. Fifteen volunteers silently read 360 idiomatic and literal Italian sentences and decided whether they were semantically related or unrelated to a following target word, while their EEGs were recorded from 128 electrodes. Word length, abstractness and frequency of use, sentence comprehensibility, familiarity and cloze probability were matched across classes. RESULTS Participants responded more quickly to literal than to idiomatic sentences, probably indicating a difference in task difficulty. Occipito/temporal N2 component had a greater amplitude in response to idioms between 250-300 ms. Related swLORETA source reconstruction revealed a difference in the activation of the left fusiform gyrus (FG, BA19) and medial frontal gyri for the contrast idiomatic-minus-literal. Centroparietal N400 was much larger to idiomatic than to literal phrases (360-550 ms). The intra-cortical generators of this effect included the left and right FG, the left cingulate gyrus, the right limbic area, the right MTG (BA21) and the left middle frontal gyrus (BA46). Finally, an anterior late positivity (600-800 ms) was larger to idiomatic than literal phrases. ERPs also showed a larger right centro-parietal N400 to associated than non-associated targets (not differing as a function of sentence type), and a greater right frontal P600 to idiomatic than literal associated targets. CONCLUSION The data indicate bilateral involvement of both hemispheres in idiom comprehension, including the right MTG after 350 ms and the right medial frontal gyrus in the time windows 270-300 and 500-780 ms. In addition, the activation of left and right limbic regions (400-450 ms) suggests that they have a role in the emotional connotation of colourful idiomatic language. The data support the view that there is direct access to the idiomatic meaning of figurative language, not dependent on the suppression of its literal meaning, for which the LIFG was previously thought to be responsible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice M Proverbio
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via dell'Innovazione 10, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Crotti
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via dell'Innovazione 10, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Zani
- Institute of Bioimaging and Molecular Physiology, CNR, Segrate-Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Adorni
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via dell'Innovazione 10, 20126, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Rassiga C, Lucchelli F, Crippa F, Papagno C. Ambiguous idiom comprehension in Alzheimer's disease. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2009; 31:402-11. [DOI: 10.1080/13803390802220019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
48
|
Boulenger V, Hauk O, Pulvermüller F. Grasping ideas with the motor system: semantic somatotopy in idiom comprehension. Cereb Cortex 2008; 19:1905-14. [PMID: 19068489 PMCID: PMC2705699 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhn217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 247] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Single words and sentences referring to bodily actions activate the motor cortex. However, this semantic grounding of concrete language does not address the critical question whether the sensory–motor system contributes to the processing of abstract meaning and thought. We examined functional magnetic resonance imaging activation to idioms and literal sentences including arm- and leg-related action words. A common left fronto-temporal network was engaged in sentence reading, with idioms yielding relatively stronger activity in (pre)frontal and middle temporal cortex. Crucially, somatotopic activation along the motor strip, in central and precentral cortex, was elicited by idiomatic and literal sentences, reflecting the body part reference of the words embedded in the sentences. Semantic somatotopy was most pronounced after sentence ending, thus reflecting sentence-level processing rather than that of single words. These results indicate that semantic representations grounded in the sensory–motor system play a role in the composition of sentence-level meaning, even in the case of idioms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Boulenger
- Medical Research Council, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Miranda RA, Ullman MT. Double dissociation between rules and memory in music: an event-related potential study. Neuroimage 2007; 38:331-45. [PMID: 17855126 PMCID: PMC2186212 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2007] [Revised: 07/16/2007] [Accepted: 07/17/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Language and music share a number of characteristics. Crucially, both domains depend on both rules and memorized representations. Double dissociations between the neurocognition of rule-governed and memory-based knowledge have been found in language but not music. Here, the neural bases of both of these aspects of music were examined with an event-related potential (ERP) study of note violations in melodies. Rule-only violations consisted of out-of-key deviant notes that violated tonal harmony rules in novel (unfamiliar) melodies. Memory-only violations consisted of in-key deviant notes in familiar well-known melodies; these notes followed musical rules but deviated from the actual melodies. Finally, out-of-key notes in familiar well-known melodies constituted violations of both rules and memory. All three conditions were presented, within-subjects, to healthy young adults, half musicians and half non-musicians. The results revealed a double dissociation, independent of musical training, between rules and memory: both rule violation conditions, but not the memory-only violations, elicited an early, somewhat right-lateralized anterior-central negativity (ERAN), consistent with previous studies of rule violations in music, and analogous to the early left-lateralized anterior negativities elicited by rule violations in language. In contrast, both memory violation conditions, but not the rule-only violation, elicited a posterior negativity that might be characterized as an N400, an ERP component that depends, at least in part, on the processing of representations stored in long-term memory, both in language and in other domains. The results suggest that the neurocognitive rule/memory dissociation extends from language to music, further strengthening the similarities between the two domains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robbin A Miranda
- Brain and Language Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, New Research Building, 3970 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
We investigated the neural correlates of idiomatic sentence processing using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty-two healthy subjects were presented with 62 literal sentences and 62 idiomatic sentences, each followed by a picture and were required to judge whether the sentence matched the picture or not. A common network of cortical activity was engaged by both conditions, with the nonliteral task eliciting overall greater activation, both in terms of magnitude and spatial extent. The network that was specifically activated by the nonliteral condition involved the left temporal cortex, the left superior medial frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 9), and the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Activations were also present in the right superior and middle temporal gyri and temporal pole and in the right IFG. In contrast, literal sentences selectively activated the left inferior parietal lobule and the right supramarginal gyrus. An analysis of effective connectivity indicated that the medial prefrontal area significantly increased the connection between frontotemporal areas bilaterally during idiomatic processing. Overall, the present findings indicate a crucial role of the prefrontal cortex in idiom comprehension, which could reflect the selection between alternative sentence meanings.
Collapse
|