Fronto-temporal regions encode the manner of motion in spatial language.
When describing spatial events, dynamic actions can be decomposed into the path of motion (where the object moves), and the manner of motion (how the object moves). These components may be instantiated in two processing streams in the human brain, wherein dorsal parietal areas process path-related information, while ventral temporal regions process manner information. Previous research showed this pattern during the observation of videos showing animate characters in motion [15]. It is unknown whether reading language describing path and manner information - a level of abstraction beyond the perception of visual motion - relies on similar mechanisms. Here, we use functional neuroimaging to show that the left pMTG processes the manner of motion during reading. We also demonstrate the involvement of other ventral fronto-temporal regions in the understanding of manner of motion in spatial language.
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, 3710 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: lquandt@mail.med.upenn.edu.
Lorna C
LC
Quandt
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, 3710 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Eileen R
ER
Cardillo
Psychology Department, Duquesne University, 211 Rockwell Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Ave., Suite 115, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Alexander
A
Kranjec
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, 3710 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Anjan
A
Chatterjee
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception; D011932:Reading; D013028:Space Perception; D013037:Spatial Behavior; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
Language; Manner; Posterior MTG; Spatial language; fMRI