Human communicative competence is based on the ability to process a specific class of mental states, namely communicative intention. The present fMRI study aims to analyze whether intention processing is affected by the expressive means through which a communicative intention is conveyed, i.e., the linguistic or extralinguistic gestural means. Combined factorial and conjunction analyses were used to test two sets of predictions: first, that a common brain network is recruited for the comprehension of communicative intentions independently of the modality through which they are conveyed; second, that additional brain areas are specifically recruited depending on the communicative modality employed, reflecting distinct sensorimotor gateways. Our results clearly showed that a common neural network is engaged in communicative intention processing independently of the modality employed. This network includes the precuneus, the left and right posterior superior temporal sulcus and temporo-parietal junction, and the medial prefrontal cortex. Additional brain areas outside those involved in intention processing are specifically engaged by the particular communicative modality, i.e., a perisylvian language network for the linguistic modality and a sensorimotor network for the extralinguistic modality. Thus common representation of communicative intention may be accessed by modality-specific gateways, which are distinct for linguistic vs. extralinguistic expressive means. Taken together, our results indicate that the information acquired by different communicative modalities is equivalent from a mental processing standpoint, in particular, at the point at which the actor’s communicative intention has to be reconstructed.
Intention processing in communication: A common brain network for language and gestures.
ENRICI, Ivan;ADENZATO, Mauro;BARA, Bruno Giuseppe;
2011-01-01
Abstract
Human communicative competence is based on the ability to process a specific class of mental states, namely communicative intention. The present fMRI study aims to analyze whether intention processing is affected by the expressive means through which a communicative intention is conveyed, i.e., the linguistic or extralinguistic gestural means. Combined factorial and conjunction analyses were used to test two sets of predictions: first, that a common brain network is recruited for the comprehension of communicative intentions independently of the modality through which they are conveyed; second, that additional brain areas are specifically recruited depending on the communicative modality employed, reflecting distinct sensorimotor gateways. Our results clearly showed that a common neural network is engaged in communicative intention processing independently of the modality employed. This network includes the precuneus, the left and right posterior superior temporal sulcus and temporo-parietal junction, and the medial prefrontal cortex. Additional brain areas outside those involved in intention processing are specifically engaged by the particular communicative modality, i.e., a perisylvian language network for the linguistic modality and a sensorimotor network for the extralinguistic modality. Thus common representation of communicative intention may be accessed by modality-specific gateways, which are distinct for linguistic vs. extralinguistic expressive means. Taken together, our results indicate that the information acquired by different communicative modalities is equivalent from a mental processing standpoint, in particular, at the point at which the actor’s communicative intention has to be reconstructed.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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