What is in a name? Spatial brain circuits are used to track discourse references.
Pronouns are commonly used instead of explicitly repeating a name, and, in many cases, we comprehend language faster when pronouns are used instead of repetitive references. This is surprising because pronouns are often ambiguous, whereas repeated names provide precise reference. We used functional MRI to investigate the neural correlates of this paradoxical preference. Reading repeated names elicited more activation than pronouns in the middle and inferior temporal gyri and intraparietal sulcus. The temporal lobe activation suggests that repeated names but not pronouns evoke multiple representations that have to be integrated. The intraparietal sulcus activation suggests that this integration relies on brain regions used for spatial attention and perceptual integration.
Almor
Amit
A
Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA. almor@sc.edu
Smith
David V
DV
Bonilha
Leonardo
L
Fridriksson
Julius
J
Rorden
Chris
C
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology