Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mapping the Semantic Homunculus: A Functional and Behavioural Analysis of Overt Semantic Generation

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Brain Topography Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Previous neuroanatomical research has shown that semantic processing of action-related language activates the premotor, motor, and sensory cortices somatotopically (e.g., Tettamanti et al., J Cognitive Neurosci. 2005;17(2): 273–281, using a listening task, and Hauk et al., Neuron. 2004;41:301–307 and Pulvermuller et al., Eur J Neurosci 2005;21:793–797; J Cognitive Neurosci 2005;17(6):884–892 using a silent reading task). We examined this somatotopic semantics hypothesis using an overt semantic generation task (i.e., participants generated aloud their own personal description of how they would interact with target object words), rather than semantic comprehension as examined in previous research, so as to provide a stronger test of the hypothesis under conditions that tap one’s own semantic knowledge about interacting with objects. Experiment 1 used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to examine somatotopically organized activation in the premotor cortex for an overt semantic generation task, using targets that naturally involve either arm interactions or leg interactions. Consistent with previous research, our results showed that semantic processing related to object interaction involves the motor, premotor and sensory cortices in a somatotopic fashion. Previous behavioural research has shown a response advantage in lexical decision for words with multiple meanings or features, which diminishes with tasks that decrease semantic involvement (e.g., Borowsky and Masson, J Exp Psychol: Learn Memory Cognit 1996; 22(1):63–85; Pexman et al., Psychon Bull Rev 2002;9(3): 542–549). Experiment 2 evaluated whether semantic generation response times (total duration of response) display a complexity advantage (i.e., faster response times for more complex objects), and whether complexity ratings were related to the volume of brain activation during the task. Results from this behavioural experiment revealed a significant negative relationship between the total duration of response (i.e., the total amount of time taken to respond to the stimuli) and object complexity for leg objects (a semantic complexity advantage), but not for arms. This suggests that the smaller repertoire of possible interactions with leg objects requires a greater reliance on semantic knowledge in order to respond in the semantic generation task. This interpretation was further supported by a greater volume of brain activation in the premotor cortex for arm objects versus leg objects. The response times from Experiment 1 were also compared to the semantic complexity ratings gathered in Experiment 2 to determine if response times in the fMRI environment were affected by how complex an object is.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abe M, Hanakawa T, Takayama Y, Kuroki C, Ogawa S, Fukuyama H. Functional coupling of human prefrontal and premotor areas during cognitive manipulation. J Neurosci. 2007;27(13):3429–38.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Allport DA. Distributed memory, modular subsystems, and dysphasia. In: Newman SK, Epstein R, editors. Current perspectives in dysphasia. Edinburgh: Churchill, Livingstone; 1985. p. 207–44.

  • Barsalou LW. Perceptual symbol systems. Behav Brain Sci. 1999; 22:577–660.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Borowsky R, Cummine J, Owen WJ, Friesen CK, Shih F, Sarty GE. FMRI of ventral and dorsal processing streams in basic reading processes: insular sensitivity to phonology. Brain Topogr. 2006;18(4):233–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borowsky R, Loehr J, Friesen CK, Kraushaar G, Kingstone A, Sarty G. Modularity and intersection of ‹what’, ‹where’, and ‹how’ processing of visual stimuli: a new method of fMRI localization. Brain Topogr. 2005;18:67–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borowsky R, Owen WJ, Sarty GE. The role of the left hemisphere in motor control of touch: a functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis. Brain Cognition. 2002;49:96–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borowsky R, Masson MEJ. Semantic ambiguity effects in word identification. J Exp Psychol: Learn Mem Cogn. 1996;22(1):63–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buccino G, Binkofski F, Fink GR, Fadiga L, Fogassi L, Gallese V, et al. Action observation activates premotor and parietal areas in a somatotopic manner: an fMRI study. Eur J Neurosci. 2001;13: 400–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chao LL, Martin A. Representation of manipulable man-made objects in the dorsal stream. Neuroimage. 2000;12:478–84.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cox RW. AFNI: software for analysis and visualization of functional magnetic resonance neuroimages. Comput Biomed Res 1996;29: 162–173. [AFNI 3-d anatomical brain available at:http://afni.nimh.nih.gov/old/afni/astrip+orig.HEAD (and BRIK).

  • Gerardin E, Sirigu A, Lehericy S, Poline J, Gaymard B, Marsault C, et al. Partially overlapping neural networks for real and imagined hand movements. Cereb Cortex. 2000;10:1093–104.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kan IP, Kable JW, Van Scoyoc A, Chatterjee A, Thompson-Schill SL. Fractioning the left frontal response to tools: dissociable effects of motor experience and lexical competition. J Cognitive Neurosci. 2006;18(2):267–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hauk O, Pulvermuller F. Neurophysiological distinction of action words in the fronto-central cortex. Hum Brain Map. 2004;21: 191–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hauk O, Johnsrude I, Pulvermuller F. Somatotopic representation of action words in human motor and premotor cortex. Neuron. 2004; 41:301–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jeannerod M, Frak V. Mental imaging of motor activity in humans. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 1999;9:735–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin A. The representation of object concepts in the brain. Ann Rev Psychol. 2007;58:25–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin A, Chao LL. Semantic memory and the brain: structure and processes. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2001;11:194–201.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin A, Haxby JV, Lalonde FM, Wiggs CL, Ungerleider LG. Discrete cortical regions associated with knowledge of color and knowledge of action. Science. 1995;270(5233):102–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin A, Wiggs CL, Ungerleider LG, Haxby JV. Neural correlates of category-specific knowledge. Nature. 1996;379:649–52.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Owen WJ, Borowsky R, Sarty GE. FMRI of two measures of phonological processing in visual word recognition: ecological validity matters. Brain Lang. 2004;90:40–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Penfield W, Boldrey E. Somatic motor and sensory representation in the cerebral cortex of man as studied by electrical stimulation. Brain. 1958;60:389–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pexman PM, Lupker SJ, Hino Y. The impact of feedback semantics in visual word recognition: number-of-features effects in lexical decision and naming tasks. Psychon Bull Rev. 2002;9(3): 542–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pexman PM, Hino Y, Lupker SJ. Semantic ambiguity and the process of generating meaning from print. J Exp Psychol: Learn Mem Cogn. 2004;30:1252–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pulvermuller F. Brain mechanisms linking language and action. Nat Rev. 2005;6:576–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pulvermuller F, Hauk O, Nikulin VV, Ilmoniemi RJ. Functional links between motor and language systems. EurJ Neurosci. 2005a;21: 793–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pulvermuller F, Shtyrov Y, Ilmoniemi RJ. Brain signatures of meaning access in action word recognition. J Cognitive Neurosci. 2005b;17(6):884–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarty GE. Computing brain activity maps from fMRI time-series images. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarty G, Borowsky R. Functional MRI activation maps from empirically defined curve fitting. Magn Reson Eng. 2005;24b:46–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siakaluk PD, Pexman PM, Sears CR, Wilson K, Locheed K, Owen WJ. The benefits of sensorimotor knowledge: body-object interaction facilitates semantic processing. Cognitive Sci. (in press).

  • Talairach J, Tournoux P. Co-planar stereotaxic atlas of the human brain. New York: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.;1988.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tettamanti M, Buccino G, Saccuman MC, Gallese V, Danna M, Scifo P, et al. Listening to action-related sentences activates fronto-parietal motor circuits. J Cognitive Neurosci. 2005;17(2):273–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson-Schill SL. Neuroimaging studies of semantic memory: Inferring “how” from “where”. Neuropsychologia. 2003;41:280–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tulving E. Episodic and semantic memory. In: Tulving E, Donaldson W, editors. Organization in memory. New York: Academic Press; 1972. p. 381–403.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada in the form of grants to R.B. and G.E.S. R.B.’s contribution is equivalent to first author.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Science, Saskatoon, Canada

    Carrie Esopenko, Ron Borowsky, Jacqueline Cummine & Gordon Sarty

  2. Division of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

    Ron Borowsky

Authors
  1. Carrie Esopenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ron Borowsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jacqueline Cummine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gordon Sarty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ron Borowsky.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Esopenko, C., Borowsky, R., Cummine, J. et al. Mapping the Semantic Homunculus: A Functional and Behavioural Analysis of Overt Semantic Generation. Brain Topogr 21, 22–35 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-008-0043-8

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-008-0043-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation