Fishing is not wrestling: Neural underpinnings of the verb instrumentality effect. (November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Malyutina, Svetlana; Dragoy, Olga; Ivanova, Maria; Laurinavichyute, Anna; Petrushevsky, Alexey; Meindl, Thomas; Pöppel, Ernst; Gutyrchik, Evgeny
• Is Part Of: Journal of neurolinguistics. Volume 40(2016)
• Page Start: 37
• Page End: 54
• Publication Date: 2016-11
• Subjects: Verbs -- Action verbs -- Verb retrieval -- Instrumentality -- Semantic complexity -- Neurocognitive load -- Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Neurolinguistics -- Periodicals; Language and languages -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Psycholinguistics -- Periodicals; Brain -- physiology -- Periodicals; Language -- physiology -- Periodicals; Neurolinguistique -- Périodiques; Langage et langues -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Psycholinguistique -- Périodiques; Language and languages -- Physiological aspects; Neurolinguistics; Psycholinguistics; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.855
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2016.03.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0911-6044

Abstract

Abstract: Previous clinical research has shown a positive effect of instrumentality on verb retrieval in individuals with aphasia. Performance on instrumental verbs incorporating an obligatory tool into their conceptual representation (e.g., to cut ) is more accurate compared to non-instrumental verbs (e.g., to tear ), possibly due to more specific conceptual representations of instrumental verbs. Seeking the neural correlates of the differences between instrumental and non-instrumental verbs, we conducted an fMRI study with 16 German speakers who performed a verb-object matching task with instrumental and non-instrumental verbs. We found that an extensive neural network including but not limited to frontal and temporal language-related areas was more involved in the semantic processing of non-instrumental compared to instrumental verbs. We argue that this reflects a greater load associated with the processing of less semantically structured/restricted representations of non-instrumental verbs. The unavailability of additional neural resources needed for the processing of non-instrumental verbs in individuals with aphasia may lead to better behavioral performance on instrumental than non-instrumental verbs. Highlights: People with aphasia show increased performance on instrumental verbs. We used fMRI to study neural effects of verb instrumentality in healthy population. Non-instrumental verbs recruited a more extensive neural network. Instrumental verbs may be easier to process due to richer semantic representations.