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Negation in the brain: a case study in neurolinguistics| old_uid | 9010 |
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| title | Negation in the brain: a case study in neurolinguistics |
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| start_date | 2010/06/29 |
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| schedule | 09h |
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| online | no |
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| summary | In this talk, I try to show that theoretical linguistics and neuropsychology converge in a non-trivial way by illustrating three distinct case studies based on neuroimaging techniques (in particular, Positron Emission Tomography, i.e. PET scan and fMR). In the first preliminary experiment, by using an invented language I will provide evidence that syntax, the unique component of human languages, selectively correlates with a complex left hemisphere neural network involving both cortical and subcortical elements (essentially, a deep component of Broca’s area and the nucleus caudatus). In the second experiment, I will show that manipulating artificially created non-recursive grammars does not activate the same neural network, providing evidence that the very absence of this type of grammar among the languages of the world cannot solely be regarded as a purely conventional, i.e. historical, fact but it is rather the effect of the neurofunctional architecture of the brain. As a third case study I will explore the neural correlates of negation addressing the issue concerning the relationship between language and the representation of the world: specifically, I will show that negation can partially inhibit the fronto-parietal motor planning circuits that are activated while interpreting sentences associated with simple actions. |
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| responsibles | <not specified> |
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