The language network is recruited but not required for non-verbal semantic processing

This page contains information for the paper "The language network is recruited but not required for non-verbal event semantics".

Paper abstract:
The ability to combine individual concepts of objects, properties, and actions into complex representations of the world is often associated with language. Yet combinatorial event-level representations can also be constructed from nonverbal input, such as visual scenes. Here, we test whether the language network in the human brain is involved in and necessary for semantic processing of events presented nonverbally. In Experiment 1, we scanned participants with fMRI while they performed a semantic plausibility judgment task vs. a difficult perceptual control task on sentences and line drawings that describe/depict simple agent-patient interactions. We found that the language network responded robustly during the semantic task performed on both sentences and pictures (although its response to sentences was stronger). Thus, language regions in healthy adults are engaged during a semantic task performed on pictorial depictions of events. But is this engagement necessary? In Experiment 2, we tested two individuals with global aphasia, who have sustained massive damage to perisylvian language areas and display severe language difficulties, against a group of age-matched control participants. Individuals with aphasia were severely impaired on the task of matching sentences to pictures. However, they performed close to controls in assessing the plausibility of pictorial depictions of agent-patient interactions. Overall, our results indicate that the left fronto-temporal language network is recruited but not necessary for semantic processing of nonverbally presented events.

本页面包含关于论文《语言网络在非语言事件语义中的招募而非必需》的相关信息。

论文摘要：
将单个对象、属性和动作的概念组合成复杂的世界表征能力常与语言能力相联系。然而，组合性事件级表征也可以从非语言输入中构建，例如视觉场景。在本研究中，我们旨在验证人脑中的语言网络是否参与并对于非语言呈现的事件的语义处理是必要的。在实验1中，我们使用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）扫描了参与者在进行语义合理性判断任务与对描述/描绘简单主体-客体互动的句子和线描画进行困难感知控制任务时的脑部活动。我们发现，在执行基于句子和图片的语义任务时，语言网络均表现出强烈的反应（尽管对句子的反应更为显著）。因此，在健康成人中，语言区域在执行对事件图示的语义任务时会被激活。然而，这种激活是否为必需的呢？在实验2中，我们对两位患有全球性失语症（其大脑旁 Sylvian 语言区域受到严重损伤并表现出严重的语言障碍）的个体与一组年龄匹配的控制参与者进行了测试。失语症患者在对句子与图片进行匹配的任务上表现严重受损。然而，他们在评估主体-客体互动图示的合理性方面与控制组的表现相近。总体而言，我们的研究结果指出，左前额颞语言网络被招募，但对于非语言呈现的事件的语义处理并非必需。