The Sound of Concepts: Four Markers for a Link between Auditory and Conceptual Brain Systems
The Sound of Concepts: Four Markers for a Link between Auditory and Conceptual Brain Systems
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DOI：
10.1523/jneurosci.3579-08.2008
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发表时间：
2008-11-19
影响因子：
5.3
通讯作者：
Hoenig, Klaus
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kiefer, Markus;Sim, Eun-Jin;Hoenig, Klaus
传统上，概念被认为是抽象的精神实体，不同于感知或运动脑系统。然而，最近的结果让我们假设特定于模态的概念表示。知觉基础概念的最终测试需要满足以下四个标记：(1)内隐任务期间的概念加工应激活(2)感知区域(3)快速和(4)选择性。在这里，我们通过功能性磁共振成像和事件相关电位的记录表明，即使通过视觉词汇含蓄地呈现，声学概念特征也能调动听觉脑区。完成这四个标记，我们的研究结果明确地将听觉和概念脑系统联系起来：识别与声学特征高度相关的表示物体的单词（例如，“电话”），在150毫秒内点燃了后上颞回和中颞回（pSTG/MTG）的细胞群，这些细胞群也被声音感知激活。重要的是，pSTG/MTG集群内的活动选择性地增加，作为声学的功能，而不是视觉和动作相关特征的功能。概念任务的内隐性、声学特征相关性对左pSTG/MTG活动的选择性调节、该活动在150 ms时的早期开始以及其与感知声音加工的解剖重叠是左pSTG/MTG听觉概念特征模态特异性表征的四个标志。因此，我们的结果为感知和概念声学处理之间的联系提供了第一个直接证据。他们证明，在感知物体的过程中，获得概念需要部分恢复大脑活动。
Traditionally, concepts are conceived as abstract mental entities distinct from perceptual or motor brain systems. However, recent results let assume modality-specific representations of concepts. The ultimate test for grounding concepts in perception requires the fulfillment of the following four markers: conceptual processing during (1) an implicit task should activate (2) a perceptual region (3) rapidly and (4) selectively. Here, we show using functional magnetic resonance imaging and recordings of event-related potentials, that acoustic conceptual features recruit auditory brain areas even when implicitly presented through visual words. Fulfilling the four markers, the findings of our study unequivocally link the auditory and conceptual brain systems: recognition of words denoting objects, for which acoustic features are highly relevant (e. g.,"telephone"), ignited cell assemblies in posterior superior and middle temporal gyri (pSTG/MTG) within 150 ms that were also activated by sound perception. Importantly, activity within a cluster of pSTG/MTG increased selectively as a function of acoustic, but not of visual and action-related feature relevance. The implicitness of the conceptual task, the selective modulation of left pSTG/MTG activity by acoustic feature relevance, the early onset of this activity at 150 ms and its anatomical overlap with perceptual sound processing are four markers for a modality-specific representation of auditory conceptual features in left pSTG/MTG. Our results therefore provide the first direct evidence for a link between perceptual and conceptual acoustic processing. They demonstrate that access to concepts involves a partial reinstatement of brain activity during the perception of objects.