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From Reference to Sense: How the Brain Encodes Meaning for Speaking

In speaking, semantic encoding is the conversion of a non-verbal mental representation (the reference) into a semantic structure suitable for expression (the sense). In this fMRI study on sentence production we investigate how the speaking brain accomplishes this transition from non-verbal to verbal...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Menenti, Laura, Petersson, Karl Magnus, Hagoort, Peter
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Research Foundation 2012
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3260530/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22279438
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00384
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author Menenti, Laura
Petersson, Karl Magnus
Hagoort, Peter
author_facet Menenti, Laura
Petersson, Karl Magnus
Hagoort, Peter
author_sort Menenti, Laura
collection PubMed
description In speaking, semantic encoding is the conversion of a non-verbal mental representation (the reference) into a semantic structure suitable for expression (the sense). In this fMRI study on sentence production we investigate how the speaking brain accomplishes this transition from non-verbal to verbal representations. In an overt picture description task, we manipulated repetition of sense (the semantic structure of the sentence) and reference (the described situation) separately. By investigating brain areas showing response adaptation to repetition of each of these sentence properties, we disentangle the neuronal infrastructure for these two components of semantic encoding. We also performed a control experiment with the same stimuli and design but without any linguistic task to identify areas involved in perception of the stimuli per se. The bilateral inferior parietal lobes were selectively sensitive to repetition of reference, while left inferior frontal gyrus showed selective suppression to repetition of sense. Strikingly, a widespread network of areas associated with language processing (left middle frontal gyrus, bilateral superior parietal lobes and bilateral posterior temporal gyri) all showed repetition suppression to both sense and reference processing. These areas are probably involved in mapping reference onto sense, the crucial step in semantic encoding. These results enable us to track the transition from non-verbal to verbal representations in our brains.
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spelling pubmed-32605302012-01-25 From Reference to Sense: How the Brain Encodes Meaning for Speaking Menenti, Laura Petersson, Karl Magnus Hagoort, Peter Front Psychol Psychology In speaking, semantic encoding is the conversion of a non-verbal mental representation (the reference) into a semantic structure suitable for expression (the sense). In this fMRI study on sentence production we investigate how the speaking brain accomplishes this transition from non-verbal to verbal representations. In an overt picture description task, we manipulated repetition of sense (the semantic structure of the sentence) and reference (the described situation) separately. By investigating brain areas showing response adaptation to repetition of each of these sentence properties, we disentangle the neuronal infrastructure for these two components of semantic encoding. We also performed a control experiment with the same stimuli and design but without any linguistic task to identify areas involved in perception of the stimuli per se. The bilateral inferior parietal lobes were selectively sensitive to repetition of reference, while left inferior frontal gyrus showed selective suppression to repetition of sense. Strikingly, a widespread network of areas associated with language processing (left middle frontal gyrus, bilateral superior parietal lobes and bilateral posterior temporal gyri) all showed repetition suppression to both sense and reference processing. These areas are probably involved in mapping reference onto sense, the crucial step in semantic encoding. These results enable us to track the transition from non-verbal to verbal representations in our brains. Frontiers Research Foundation 2012-01-18 /pmc/articles/PMC3260530/ /pubmed/22279438 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00384 Text en Copyright © 2012 Menenti, Petersson and Hagoort. http://www.frontiersin.org/licenseagreement This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited.
spellingShingle Psychology
Menenti, Laura
Petersson, Karl Magnus
Hagoort, Peter
From Reference to Sense: How the Brain Encodes Meaning for Speaking
title From Reference to Sense: How the Brain Encodes Meaning for Speaking
title_full From Reference to Sense: How the Brain Encodes Meaning for Speaking
title_fullStr From Reference to Sense: How the Brain Encodes Meaning for Speaking
title_full_unstemmed From Reference to Sense: How the Brain Encodes Meaning for Speaking
title_short From Reference to Sense: How the Brain Encodes Meaning for Speaking
title_sort from reference to sense: how the brain encodes meaning for speaking
topic Psychology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3260530/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22279438
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00384
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