title: Creating metaphors: the neural basis of figurative language production.
abstract: Neuroscience research has thoroughly studied how nonliteral language is processed during metaphor comprehension. However, it is not clear how the brain actually creates nonliteral language. Therefore, the present study for the first time investigates the neural correlates of metaphor production. Participants completed sentences by generating novel metaphors or literal synonyms during functional imaging. Responses were spoken aloud in the scanner, recorded, and subsequently rated for their creative quality. We found that metaphor production was associated with focal activity in predominantly left-hemispheric brain regions, specifically the left angular gyrus, the left middle and superior frontal gyri-corresponding to the left dorsomedial prefrontal (DMPFC) cortex-and the posterior cingulate cortex. Moreover, brain activation in the left anterior DMPFC and the right middle temporal gyrus was found to linearly increase with the creative quality of metaphor responses. These findings are related to neuroscientific evidence on metaphor comprehension, creative idea generation and episodic future thought, suggesting that creating metaphors involves the flexible adaptation of semantic memory to imagine and construct novel figures of speech. Furthermore, the left DMPFC may exert executive control to maintain strategic search and selection, thus facilitating creativity of thought.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria. Electronic address: mathias.benedek@uni-graz.at.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benedek
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beaty
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jauk
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koschutnig
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Silvia
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dunst
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Aljoscha C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Neubauer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019365:Metaphor; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Creativity; Language production; Mental simulation; Metaphor; fMRI