title: Neural mechanisms for lexical processing in dogs.
abstract: During speech processing, human listeners can separately analyze lexical and intonational cues to arrive at a unified representation of communicative content. The evolution of this capacity can be best investigated by comparative studies. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we explored whether and how dog brains segregate and integrate lexical and intonational information. We found a left-hemisphere bias for processing meaningful words, independently of intonation; a right auditory brain region for distinguishing intonationally marked and unmarked words; and increased activity in primary reward regions only when both lexical and intonational information were consistent with praise. Neural mechanisms to separately analyze and integrate word meaning and intonation in dogs suggest that this capacity can evolve in the absence of language.
authors: MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary. Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary. MR Research Centre, Semmelweis University, H-1083 Budapest, Balassa u. 6, Hungary. attila.andics@gmail.com.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Andics
authors: Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gábor
authors: MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Gácsi
authors: MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Faragó
authors: MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary. Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Szabó
authors: MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary. Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Páter sátány 1/C, Hungary.
authors: Á
authors: Á
authors: Miklósi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*