Functional MRI of conventional and anomalous metaphors in Mandarin Chinese

This study looks at whether conventional and anomalous metaphors are processed in different locations in the brain while being read when compared with a literal condition in Mandarin Chinese. We find that conventional metaphors differ from the literal condition with a slight amount of increased activation in the right inferior temporal gyrus. In addition, when the anomalous metaphor condition is compared with the literal condition, increased activation occurs bilaterally in the frontal and temporal gyri. Lastly, the comparison between the anomalous and conventional metaphor conditions shows bilateral activation in the middle frontal gyrus and the precentral gyrus, and right-hemisphere activation in the superior frontal gyrus. Left hemisphere activation is found in the inferior frontal gyrus and fusiform gyrus. The left hemisphere activation in the frontal and temporal gyri point to the recruitment of traditional language-based areas for anomalous metaphor sentences, while the right-hemisphere activation found suggests that remote associations are being formed. In short, our study supports the idea that metaphors are not a homogenous type of figurative language and that distinguishing between different types of metaphors will advance theories of language comprehension.     

An fMRI investigation of the neural correlates underlying the processing of novel metaphoric expressions

The neural networks associated with processing related pairs of words forming literal, novel, and conventional metaphorical expressions and unrelated pairs of words were studied in a group of 15 normal adults using fMRI. Subjects read the four types of linguistic expressions and decided which relation exists between the two words (metaphoric, literal, or unrelated). According to the Graded Salience Hypothesis (GSH, ), which predicts a selective RH involvement in the processing of novel, nonsalient meanings, it is primarily the degree of meaning salience of a linguistic expression rather than literality or nonliterality, which modulates the degree of left hemisphere (LH) and right hemisphere (RH) processing of metaphors. In the present study, novel metaphorical expressions represented the nonsalient interpretations, whereas conventional metaphors and literal expressions represented the salient interpretations. A direct comparison of the novel metaphors vs. the conventional metaphors revealed significantly stronger activity in right posterior superior temporal sulcus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and left middle frontal gyrus. These results support the GSH and suggest a special role for the RH in processing novel metaphors. Furthermore, the right PSTS may be selectively involved in verbal creativity.     

藏汉双语者汉语阅读理解的静息态功能连接分析

研究结合静息态全脑功能连接密度和基于种子点的功能连接（FC）分析考察了藏汉双语者汉语（L2）阅读各子能力（细节捕捉和推理判断）的固有脑功能组织特点。结果发现左侧额下回—左侧颞上回和右侧舌回—右侧中央前回之间的FC值均与细节捕捉题得分和推理判断题得分呈显著正相关,但是左侧额下回—右侧顶下小叶之间的FC值只与推理判断题得分呈显著正相关。表明藏汉双语者汉语阅读各子能力之间既有重叠的又有不同的功能连接通路。     

Neural correlates of metaphor processing: The roles of figurativeness,familiarity and difficulty

There is currently much interest in investigating the neural substrates of metaphor processing. In particular, it has been suggested that the right hemisphere plays a special role in the comprehension of figurative (non-literal) language, and in particular metaphors. However, some studies find no evidence of right hemisphere involvement in metaphor comprehension (e.g. [Lee, S. S., & Dapretto, M. (2006). Metaphorical vs. literal word meanings: fMRI evidence against a selective role of the right hemisphere. NeuroImage, 29, 536–544; Rapp, A. M., Leube, D. T., Erb, M., Grodd, W., & Kircher, T. T. J. (2004). Neural correlates of metaphor processing. Cognitive Brain Research, 20, 395–402]). We suggest that lateralization differences between literal and metaphorical language may be due to factors such as differences in familiarity ([Schmidt, G. L., DeBuse, C. J., & Seger, C. A. (2007). Right hemisphere metaphor processing? Characterizing the lateralization of semantic processes. Brain and Language, 100, 127–141]), or difficulty ([Bookheimer, S. (2002). Functional MRI of language: New approaches to understanding the cortical organization of semantic processing. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 25, 151–188; Rapp, A. M., Leube, D. T., Erb, M., Grodd, W., & Kircher, T. T. J. (2004). Neural correlates of metaphor processing. Cognitive Brain Research, 20, 395–402]) in addition to figurativeness. The purpose of this study was to separate the effects of figurativeness, familiarity, and difficulty on the recruitment of neural systems involved in language, in particular right hemisphere mechanisms. This was achieved by comparing neural activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) between four conditions: literal sentences, familiar and easy to understand metaphors, unfamiliar and easy to understand metaphors, and unfamiliar and difficult to understand metaphors. Metaphors recruited the right insula, left temporal pole and right inferior frontal gyrus in comparison with literal sentences. Familiar metaphors recruited the right middle frontal gyrus when contrasted with unfamiliar metaphors. Easy metaphors showed higher activation in the left middle frontal gyrus as compared to difficult metaphors, while difficult metaphors showed selective activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus as compared to easy metaphors. We conclude that the right hemisphere is involved in metaphor processing and that the factors of figurativeness, familiarity and difficulty are important in determining neural recruitment of semantic processing.     

幽默加工中不一致探测与解决的脑机制分离

本fMRI研究使用“文字背景—漫画图片”实验范式,设计了三种实验条件（可笑、不可笑和无关）,试图对幽默加工中不一致探测与解决的脑机制进行分离。可笑与不可笑条件对比的结果与前人研究一致,证明了新实验范式的有效性。其次,无关与不可笑条件比较,右侧脑岛激活,说明脑岛可能与不一致探测有关。综合分析发现,脑岛与杏仁核可能共同参与了不一致探测加工。此外,结果还第一次区分了幽默加工中不一致解决与一般问题解决的脑区。     

Does simile comprehension differ from metaphor comprehension? A functional MRI study

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.     

Deriving meaning: Distinct neural mechanisms for metaphoric, literal, and non-meaningful sentences

In this study, we used a novel cognitive paradigm and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (ER-fMRI) to investigate the neural substrates involved in processing three different types of sentences. Participants read either metaphoric (Some surgeons are butchers), literal (Some surgeons are fathers), or non-meaningful sentences (Some surgeons are shelves) and had to decide whether they made sense or not. We demonstrate that processing of the different sentence types relied on distinct neural mechanisms. Activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG), BA 47, was shared by both non-meaningful and metaphoric sentences but not by literal sentences. Furthermore, activation of the left thalamus appeared to be specifically involved in deriving meaning from metaphoric sentences despite lack of reaction times differences between literals and metaphors. We assign this to the ad hoc concept construction and open-endedness of metaphoric interpretation. In contrast to previous studies, our results do not support the view the right hemispheric is specifically involved in metaphor comprehension.     

不同情绪载体的神经活动及其异同——脑成像研究的ALE元分析

情绪识别一直是学界关注的热点。虽然已有研究探讨了动态面孔表情、动态身体表情和声音情绪的脑机制, 但对每种情绪载体的整体认识相对不完善, 同时对不同情绪载体之间神经机制的共性和区别知之甚少。因此, 本研究首先通过三项独立的激活似然估计元分析来识别每种情绪模式的大脑激活区域, 然后进行对比分析以评估三种情绪载体之间共同的和独特的神经活动。结果显示, 动态面孔表情的大脑活动包括广泛的额叶、枕叶、颞叶和部分顶叶皮层以及海马、小脑、丘脑、杏仁核等皮层下区域; 动态身体表情的激活集中于颞/枕叶相关脑区以及小脑和海马; 声音情绪则引起了颞叶、额叶、杏仁核、尾状核和脑岛的激活。联合分析表明, 三种情绪载体跨模态激活了左侧颞中回和右侧颞上回。对比分析的结果证明了视觉刺激比听觉刺激更占优势, 动态面孔表情尤为突出, 同时动态身体表情也发挥着重要作用, 但声音情绪有其独特性。总之, 这些发现验证和拓展了三种情绪载体的现有神经模型, 揭示了情绪处理中心的、普遍性的区域, 但每种情绪载体又有自己可靠的特异性神经回路。     

抑郁障碍和焦虑障碍治疗的神经心理机制——脑成像研究的ALE元分析

抑郁障碍和焦虑障碍是两种最常见的精神障碍。使用激活似然估计(activation likelihood estimation,ALE)元分析对抑郁和焦虑障碍患者治疗后出现的一致脑区激活改变进行评估,并考察不同条件下这一改变的差异。研究共纳入25篇文献,结果发现:(1)抑郁和焦虑障碍接受治疗后,枕下回(inferior occipital gyrus,IOG)等脑区激活增加;豆状核(lentiform nucleus)等激活减少。(2)a.心理治疗产生的脑激活改变为豆状核活动的减少;药物治疗则在于扣带回(cingulate gyrus)等活动增加,而楔前叶(precuneus)等活动减少。b.任务下成像治疗后激活增加的脑区为扣带回等,减少的脑区为楔前叶等;静息下成像,治疗后枕下回等激活增加,额内侧回(medial frontal gyrus,MFG)等激活减少。c.抑郁障碍治疗后的脑激活变化为扣带回等活动增加,楔前叶等活动减少;焦虑障碍在于前扣带回/额内侧回(anterior cingulate/MFG)活动减少。研究表明治疗会给抑郁和焦虑障碍带来一致的脑区激活改变;治疗方法、成像状态和障碍类型不同,治疗后脑区激活改变也存在差异。     

科学发明情境中问题提出的fMRI研究

本研究中, 以76个科学发明问题(36个带有相关的原型, 40个不带有相关的原型)为实验材料,使用功能性磁共振成像(fMRI)技术探讨了科学发明情境中的问题提出以及新近获得的语义对有价值的科学问题提出的启发效应的大脑机制。对有原型提出有价值的科学问题与无原型提出一般问题这两种情况下被试反应的数据进行记录和分析。结果表明两种情况下共同激活的脑区(科学发明情境中问题提出的脑区)为左侧梭状回、左侧内侧额叶、左侧豆状核、右小脑和左侧中央前回。这些共同激活的脑区表明：左侧梭状回也许与各个语句的语义表征有关; 左侧内侧额叶也许与所有语句的整体语义表征以及提出各个语义之间的“问题”有关(左侧豆状核和右小脑配合内侧额叶分别负责控制注意、眼动的指向和注意资源的分配); 左侧中央前回可能负责用语句表述出所提出的语义之间的“问题”。对有原型提出有价值的科学问题和无原型提出有价值的科学问题这两种情况下被试反应的数据进行记录和分析。结果表明有原型提出有价值的科学问题比无原型提出有价值的科学问题显著激活的脑区(科学发明情境中新近获得的语义对有价值的科学问题提出的启发效应的脑区)为左侧楔前叶、左侧额下回、左侧颞中回。这些显著激活的脑区表明：楔前叶与情境记忆的贮存和提取有关; 额中回与认知控制和注意资源的分配有关; 颞中回与新异性原型的成功激活有关。     

科学发明情境中问题提出的fMRI研究*

本研究中,以76个科学发明问题(36个带有相关的原型,40个不带有相关的原型)为实验材料,使用功能性磁共振成像(fMRI)技术探讨了科学发明情境中的问题提出以及新近获得的语义对有价值的科学问题提出的启发效应的大脑机制。对有原型提出有价值的科学问题与无原型提出一般问题这两种情况下被试反应的数据进行记录和分析。结果表明两种情况下共同激活的脑区(科学发明情境中问题提出的脑区)为左侧梭状回、左侧内侧额叶、左侧豆状核、右小脑和左侧中央前回。这些共同激活的脑区表明：左侧梭状回也许与各个语句的语义表征有关;左侧内侧额叶也许与所有语句的整体语义表征以及提出各个语义之间的―问题‖有关(左侧豆状核和右小脑配合内侧额叶分别负责控制注意、眼动的指向和注意资源的分配);左侧中央前回可能负责用语句表述出所提出的语义之间的―问题‖。对有原型提出有价值的科学问题和无原型提出有价值的科学问题这两种情况下被试反应的数据进行记录和分析。结果表明有原型提出有价值的科学问题比无原型提出有价值的科学问题显著激活的脑区(科学发明情境中新近获得的语义对有价值的科学问题提出的启发效应的脑区)为左侧楔前叶、左侧额下回、左侧颞中回。这些显著激活的脑区表明：楔前叶与情境记忆的贮存和提取有关;额中回与认知控制和注意资源的分配有关;颞中回与新异性原型的成功激活有关。     

Functional-anatomical organization of predicate metaphor processing

The bulk of the research on the neural organization of metaphor comprehension has focused on nominal metaphors and the metaphoric relationships between word pairs. By contrast, little work has been conducted on predicate metaphors using verbs of motion such as “The man fell under her spell.” We examined predicate metaphors as compared to literal sentences of motion such as “The child fell under the slide” in an event-related, functional MRI study. Our results demonstrated greater activation in the left inferior frontal cortex and left lateral temporal lobe for predicate metaphors as compared to literal sentences, while no differences were seen in homologous areas of the right hemisphere. We suggest that the results support a neural organization principle for motion processing in which greater abstraction proceeds along a posterior-to-anterior axis within the lateral portion of the left temporal cortex.     

Neural correlates of temporal auditory processing in developmental dyslexia during German vowel length discrimination: an fMRI study

This fMRI study investigated phonological vs. auditory temporal processing in developmental dyslexia by means of a German vowel length discrimination paradigm (Groth, Lachmann, Riecker, Muthmann, & Steinbrink, 2011). Behavioral and fMRI data were collected from dyslexics and controls while performing same-different judgments of vowel duration in two experimental conditions. In the temporal, but not in the phonological condition, hemodynamic brain activation was observed bilaterally within the anterior insular cortices in both groups and within the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in controls, indicating that the left IFG and the anterior insular cortices are part of a neural network involved in temporal auditory processing. Group subtraction analyses did not demonstrate significant effects. However, in a subgroup analysis, participants performing low in the temporal condition (all dyslexic) showed decreased activation of the insular cortices and the left IFG, suggesting that this processing network might form the neural basis of temporal auditory processing deficits in dyslexia.     

Dissociation of the neural systems for working memory maintenance of verbal and nonspatial visual information

Working memory for names and faces was investigated to ascertain whether verbal and nonspatial visual information is maintained in working memory by separate neural systems. The subjects performed a delayed match-to-sample task for famous or unfamous faces and names and a sensorimotor control task. Several occipital, temporal, parietal, and prefrontal areas were activated during all memory delays, in comparison with the control delays. Greater delay activity for unfamous faces than for names was obtained in the right fusiform gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right IFG/ precentral gyrus, and right medial superior frontal gyrus, whereas greater delay activity for unfamous names than for faces was observed in the precuneus, left insula/postcentral gyrus, and left IFG/ precentral gyrus. There was no significant difference in the prefrontal activity in the comparison between famous faces and names. Greater delay activity for famous names than for faces was obtained in visual association and parietal areas. The results indicate that there is a functional dissociation based on information type within the neural system that is responsible for working memory maintenance of verbal and nonspatial visual information.     

Behavioral and fMRI evidence that cognitive ability modulates the effect of semantic context on speech intelligibility

Text cues facilitate the perception of spoken sentences to which they are semantically related (Zekveld, Rudner, et al., 2011). In this study, semantically related and unrelated cues preceding sentences evoked more activation in middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) than nonword cues, regardless of acoustic quality (speech in noise or speech in quiet). Larger verbal working memory (WM) capacity (reading span) was associated with greater intelligibility benefit obtained from related cues, with less speech-related activation in the left superior temporal gyrus and left anterior IFG, and with more activation in right medial frontal cortex for related versus unrelated cues. Better ability to comprehend masked text was associated with greater ability to disregard unrelated cues, and with more activation in left angular gyrus (AG). We conclude that individual differences in cognitive abilities are related to activation in a speech-sensitive network including left MTG, IFG and AG during cued speech perception.     

自闭症谱系障碍人群词义加工的脑激活模式：基于fMRI研究的元分析

本研究筛选了11项采用功能性磁共振成像技术探究言语自闭症人群词义加工的研究, 探讨了该人群与典型人群脑激活模式的差异是否具有跨研究的稳定性。结果表明, 差异的脑激活模式稳定存在, 且表现为主要涉及左额上回的典型脑区激活不足。该结果为言语ASD人群语言加工的神经机制提供了来自词义加工的跨研究激活证据, 在明确“减弱的额叶激活”这一稳定差异表现的基础上, 强调了针对不同语言加工任务开展元分析研究的必要性。     

Understanding metaphors: Is the right hemisphere uniquely involved?

Two divided visual field priming experiments examined cerebral asymmetries for understanding metaphors varying in sentence constraint. Experiment 1 investigated ambiguous words (e.g., SWEET and BRIGHT) with literal and metaphoric meanings in ambiguous and unambiguous sentence contexts, while Experiment 2 involved standard metaphors (e.g., The drink you gave me was a meteor) with sententially consistent and inconsistent targets (i.e., POTENT vs COMET). Similar literal and metaphor priming effects were found in both visual fields across most experimental conditions. However, RH processes also maintained activation of sententially inconsistent literal meanings following metaphoric expressions. These results do not strongly support the RH as the preferred substrate for metaphor comprehension (e.g., ), and suggest that processes in both hemispheres can support metaphor comprehension, although not via identical mechanisms. The LH may utilize sentence constraint to select and integrate only contextually relevant literal and metaphoric meanings, whereas the RH may be less sensitive to sentence context and can maintain the activation of some alternative interpretations. This may be potentially useful in situations where an initial understanding must be revised.     

熟悉主题说明文阅读推理加工的认知神经机制

采用功能磁共振成像(Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI)技术对熟悉主题说明文阅读过程因果推理加工进行研究, 探讨说明文阅读过程中读者是否能够自发进行因果推理加工, 以及阅读焦点的存在是否会对说明文阅读过程中的因果推理加工产生影响。结果表明, 读者在熟悉主题说明文阅读过程中能够自动进行推理加工, 负责推理加工的主要脑区为额叶(尤其是额下回)、顶叶下部及双侧楔前叶等区域。在熟悉主题说明文阅读过程中, 阅读焦点的存在一定程度上使读者的认知加工资源集中在对与焦点相关的推理关系的加工上。     

外显和内隐情绪韵律加工的脑机制：近红外成像研究

准确识别言语中的情绪韵律信息对社会交往非常重要。本研究采用功能近红外成像技术, 探索外显和内隐情绪加工条件下愤怒、恐惧、快乐三种情绪韵律加工过程中的大脑皮层神经活动。结果表明, 对愤怒、恐惧、快乐韵律进行特异性加工的脑区分别为左侧额极/眶额叶、右侧缘上回、左侧额下回, 其中右侧缘上回脑区同时受到情绪和任务的调控。此外, 右侧颞中回、颞下回和颞极在情绪外显任务中的激活明显强于内隐任务。本研究的结果部分支持了情绪韵律的层次模型, 也对该模型的第三层次, 即“额区对语音情绪信息的精细加工需要外显性情绪加工任务参与”提出了质疑。     

Sex differences in semantic language processing: a functional MRI study

Predictions based on two models of sex differences in cerebral organization of language were compared by examining fMRI patterns of 10 females and 9 males during a semantic processing task. Both groups displayed activation of left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), left superior temporal gyrus (STG), and cingulate. Females, but not males, showed bilateral IFG and STG activation. Further analyses revealed females had less diffuse left activation and greater right posterior temporal and insula region activation than males. Results support both an interhemispheric and an intrahemispheric model of sex differences in language, suggesting that the models may not be mutually exclusive.