title: Fronto-parietal network supports context-dependent speech comprehension.
abstract: Knowing the context of a discourse is an essential prerequisite for comprehension. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to disclose brain networks supporting context-dependent speech comprehension. During fMRI, 20 participants listened to 1-min spoken narratives preceded by pictures that were either contextually matching or mismatching with the narrative. Matching pictures increased narrative comprehension, decreased hemodynamic activity in Broca׳s area, and enhanced its functional connectivity with left anterior superior frontal gyrus, bilateral inferior parietal cortex, as well as anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Further, the anterior (BA 45) and posterior (BA 44) portions of Broca׳s area differed in their functional connectivity patterns. Both BA 44 and BA 45 have shown increased connectivity with right angular gyrus and supramarginal gyrus. Whereas BA 44 showed increased connectivity with left angular gyrus, left inferior/middle temporal gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, BA 45 showed increased connectivity with right posterior cingulate cortex, right anterior inferior frontal gyrus, lateral occipital cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. Our results suggest that a fronto-parietal functional network supports context-dependent narrative comprehension, and that Broca׳s area is involved in resolving ambiguity from speech when appropriate contextual cues are lacking.
authors.affiliation: Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland. Electronic address: dmitry.smirnov@aalto.fi.
authors.forename: Dmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smirnov
authors.affiliation: Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Glerean
authors.affiliation: Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland.
authors.forename: Juha M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lahnakoski
authors.affiliation: Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland.
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salmi
authors.affiliation: Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland.
authors.forename: Iiro P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Jääskeläinen
authors.affiliation: Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; AMI Centre, AALTO NEUROIMAGING, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland.
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sams
authors.affiliation: Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS), School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; Brain Research Unit, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory, School of Science, Aalto University, Finland; Turku PET Centre, Finland.
authors.forename: Lauri
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nummenmaa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Broca׳s area; Functional connectivity; ISC; Narrative; PPI; Speech comprehension; Wernicke׳s area; fMRI