scholarly journals An ALE meta-analytical review of the neural correlates of abstract and concrete words

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madalina Bucur ◽  
Costanza Papagno
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Abstract Nouns ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
Analytical Review ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Concrete Words

AbstractSeveral clinical studies have reported a double dissociation between abstract and concrete concepts, suggesting that they are processed by at least partly different networks in the brain. However, neuroimaging data seem not in line with neuropsychological reports. Using the ALE method, we run a meta-analysis on 32 brain-activation imaging studies that considered only nouns and verbs. Five clusters were associated with concrete words, four clusters with abstract words. When only nouns were selected three left activation clusters were found to be associated with concrete stimuli and only one with abstract nouns (left IFG). These results confirm that concrete and abstract words processing involves at least partially segregated brain areas, the IFG being relevant for abstract nouns and verbs while more posterior temporoparietal-occipital regions seem to be crucial for processing concrete words, in contrast with the neuropsychological literature that suggests a temporal anterior involvement for concrete words. We investigated the possible reasons that produce different outcomes in neuroimaging and clinical studies.

The Anatomical Correlates of Abstract and Concrete Words: A meta-analytical review of whole-brain imaging studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madalina Bucur ◽  
Costanza Papagno
Keyword(s):  
Word Processing ◽  
Abstract Word ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
Middle Temporal ◽  
Abstract Nouns ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
Analytical Review ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Concrete Words

Abstract Several studies have investigated how abstract and concrete concepts are processed in the brain, but data are controversial, in particular neuroimaging data contrast with clinical neuropsychological observations. A possible explanation could be that previous meta-analyses considered different types of stimuli (nouns, verbs, literal and figurative sentences). Using the ALE method, we meta-analyzed 32 brain-activation imaging studies that considered only words (nouns and verbs). Five clusters were associated with concrete words (the left superior occipital, middle temporal, parahippocampal and bilateral posterior cingulate, angular, and precuneus gyri); four clusters were associated with abstract words (left IFG, superior, and middle temporal gyri). When only nouns were considered three left activation clusters were associated with concrete stimuli and only one with abstract nouns (left IFG). These results confirm that concrete and abstract word processing involves at least partially segregated brain areas, the IFG being relevant for abstract nouns and verbs while more posterior temporo-parieto-occipital regions seem to be crucial for concrete words.

scholarly journals Imageability, familiarity, and age of acquisition ratings for Arabic abstract nouns, abstract verbs and adjectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tariq Khwaileh ◽  
Eiman Mustafawi ◽  
David Howard ◽  
Ruth Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Equal Importance ◽  
Abstract Nouns ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Abstract Verbs ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Naming Tasks ◽  
Concrete Words

Abstract To date, normative psycholinguistics research has mainly focused on establishing norms for producing databases for concrete words using standardized pictures, while abstract words have been subject to much less attention. Understandably, the fact that the first can be represented visually helps in formulating picture-naming tasks to elicit verbal identification for pictures representing nouns and verbs, which greatly contributes to language experiments in both theoretical and clinical studies. The present study argues for the equal importance of studies that aim to develop databases for abstract words, as language use is not restricted to picturable/concrete concepts. We provide norms for a set of 165 abstract nouns, 56 abstract verbs and 109 abstract adjectives, collected from healthy speakers of Arabic. Using rating tasks, norms for imageability, age of acquisition, and familiarity are established. Linguistic factors such as syllable length and phoneme length are also accounted for. We also include orthographic frequency values (extracted from AraLex; Boudelaa and Marslen-Wilson, 2010). The norms for the processing of abstract words collected in the current study present a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians working with speakers of Arabic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first dataset of abstract words for the Arabic language.

scholarly journals Functional Neuroanatomy of Contextual Acquisition of Concrete and Abstract Words

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 2154-2171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mestres-Missé ◽  
Thomas F. Münte ◽  
Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Functional Neuroanatomy ◽  
Linguistic Context ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
New Words ◽  
Simulation Paradigm ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Concrete Words

The meaning of a novel word can be acquired by extracting it from linguistic context. Here we simulated word learning of new words associated to concrete and abstract concepts in a variant of the human simulation paradigm that provided linguistic context information in order to characterize the brain systems involved. Native speakers of Spanish read pairs of sentences in order to derive the meaning of a new word that appeared in the terminal position of the sentences. fMRI revealed that learning the meaning associated to concrete and abstract new words was qualitatively different and recruited similar brain regions as the processing of real concrete and abstract words. In particular, learning of new concrete words selectively boosted the activation of the ventral anterior fusiform gyrus, a region driven by imageability, which has previously been implicated in the processing of concrete words.

The different representational frameworks underpinning abstract and concrete knowledge: Evidence from odd-one-out judgements

2009 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 1377-1390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian J. Crutch ◽  
Sarah Connell ◽  
Elizabeth K. Warrington
Keyword(s):  
Concrete Word ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Semantic Associations ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Normal Cognition ◽  
Neuropsychological Investigations ◽  
Concrete Words

Recent evidence from neuropsychological investigations of individuals with global aphasia and deep or deep-phonological dyslexia suggests that abstract and concrete concepts are underpinned by qualitatively different representational frameworks. Abstract words are represented primarily by their association to other words, whilst concrete words are represented primarily by their taxonomic similarity to one another. In the current study, we present the first evidence for this association/similarity distinction to be gathered from healthy research participants. Using a semantic odd-one-out task, it is shown that normal participants identify associative connections more quickly than similarity-based connections when processing abstract words, but that the pattern is reversed for concrete words. It is also demonstrated that the typical concrete-word advantage observed in many cognitive tasks is abolished and even reversed when participants have to comprehend the semantic associations between words. The data provide converging evidence for the different representational frameworks hypothesis and suggest that claims based on information from previous neuropsychological investigations can be generalized to normal cognition.

scholarly journals Common and distinct neural correlates of music and food-induced pleasure: a coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Mas-Herrero ◽  
Larissa Maini ◽  
Guillaume Sescousse ◽  
Robert J. Zatorre
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Reward Circuitry ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Partial Dissociation ◽  
Reward Network ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTNeuroimaging studies have shown that, despite the abstractness of music, it may mimic biologically rewarding stimuli (e.g. food) in its ability to engage the brain’s reward circuity. However, due to the lack of research comparing music and other types of reward, it is unclear to what extent the recruitment of reward-related structures overlaps among domains. To achieve this goal, we performed a coordinate-based meta-analysis of 38 neuroimaging studies (703 subjects) comparing the brain responses specifically to music and food-induced pleasure. Both engaged a common set of brain regions including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, and insula. Yet, comparative analyses indicated a partial dissociation in the engagement of the reward circuitry as a function of the type of reward, as well as additional reward type-specific activations in brain regions related to perception, sensory processing, and learning. These results support the idea that hedonic reactions rely on the engagement of a common reward network, yet through specific routes of access depending on the modality and nature of the reward.

scholarly journals Clustering the Brain With “CluB”: A New Toolbox for Quantitative Meta-Analysis of Neuroimaging Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Berlingeri ◽  
Francantonio Devoto ◽  
Francesca Gasparini ◽  
Aurora Saibene ◽  
Silvia E. Corchs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
The Brain

scholarly journals Episodic memory-related activation in schizophrenia: meta-analysis

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (6) ◽  
pp. 500-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie M. Achim ◽  
Martin Lepage
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobe ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Memory Encoding ◽  
The Brain

BackgroundNumerous studies have examined the neural correlates of episodic memory deficits in schizophrenia, yielding both consistencies and discrepancies in the reported patterns of results.AimsTo identify in schizophrenia the brain regions in which activity is consistently abnormal across imaging studies of memory.MethodData from 18 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were combined using a recently developed quantitative meta-analytic approach.ResultsRegions of consistent differential activation between groups were observed in the left inferior prefrontal cortex, medial temporal cortex bilaterally, left cerebellum, and in other prefrontal and temporal lobe regions. Subsequent analyses explored memory encoding and retrieval separately and identified between-group differences in specific prefrontal and medial temporal lobe regions.ConclusionsBeneath the apparent heterogeneity of published findings on schizophrenia and memory, a consistent and robust pattern of group differences is observed as a function of memory processes.

Imaginal, Semantic, and Surface-Level Processing of Concrete and Abstract Words: An Electrophysiological Investigation

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1024-1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Caroline West ◽  
Phillip J. Holcomb
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Surface Characteristics ◽  
Imagery Task ◽  
Cognitive Operations ◽  
Semantic Decision ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
Concrete Concepts ◽  
Concrete Words

Words representing concrete concepts are processed more quickly and efficiently than words representing abstract concepts. Concreteness effects have also been observed in studies using event-related brain potentials (ERPs). The aim of this study was to examine concrete and abstract words using both reaction time (RT) and ERP measurements to determine (1) at what point in the stream of cognitive processing concreteness effects emerge and (2) how different types of cognitive operations influence these concreteness effects. Three groups of subjects performed a sentence verification task in which the final word of each sentence was concrete or abstract. For each group the truthfulness judgment required either (1) image generation, (2) a semantic decision, or (3) evaluation of surface characteristics. Concrete and abstract words produced similar RTs and ERPs in the surface task, suggesting that postlexical semantic processing is necessary to elicit concreteness effects. In both the semantic and imagery tasks, RTs were shorter for concrete than for abstract words. This difference was greatest in the imagery task. Also, in both of these tasks concrete words elicited more negative ERPs than abstract words between 300 and 550 msec (N400). This effect was widespread across the scalp and may reflect activation in a linguistic semantic system common to both concrete and abstract words. ERPs were also more negative for concrete than abstract words between 550 and 800 msec. This effect was more frontally distributed and was most evident in the imagery task. We propose that this later anterior effect represents a distinct ERP component (N700) that is sensitive to the use of mental imagery. The N700 may reflect the access of specific characteristics of the imaged item or activation in a working memory system specific to mental imagery. These results also support the extended dual-coding hypothesis that superior associative connections and the use of mental imagery both contribute to processing advantages for concrete words over abstract words.

scholarly journals Dopamine transporter in obesity: a meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoungjune Pak ◽  
Keunyoung Kim ◽  
In Joo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Caudate Nucleus ◽  
Dopamine Transporter ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Spline Curves ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
Desire To Eat ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTThe brain plays a major role in controlling the desire to eat. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the association between dopamine transporter (DAT) availability, and obesity. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE (from inception to November 2020) and EMBASE (from inception to November 2020) for articles published in English using the keywords “dopamine transporter,” “obesity,” and “neuroimaging”. Data were plotted for each radiopharmaceutical, and linear regression was used to describe the relationship between DAT ratio, and body mass index (BMI), spline curves were adopted to fit data between DAT ratio and BMI. Five studies including 421 subjects were eligible for inclusion in this study. Two studies with 123I-FP-CIT, one with 99mTc-TRODAT, one with 123I-PE21, and one with 18F-FP-CIT were included. DAT availabilities from ENC-DAT project were higher than those from PPMI database both for caudate nucleus, and putamen. As there might be the inter-study variability, we calculated DAT ratio, after dividing DAT availabilities of subjects with overweight/obese BMI with mean DAT availabilities of subjects with normal BMI. In conclusion, we have shown that DAT availability of subjects with overweight/obesity was not different from those with normal BMI.

Brain responses to watching food commercials compared with nonfood commercials: a meta-analysis on neuroimaging studies

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Andy Wai Kan Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Additional Restriction ◽  
Eating Behaviours ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
The Right ◽  
Food Commercials

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to identify and meta-analyse the neuroimaging data and hence synthesise a brain map showing the neural correlates of watching food commercials. Design: Published studies were retrieved and included into the analysis if they evaluated brain responses to food commercials with functional MRI and reported results based on whole-brain analysis in standard brain coordinates. Setting: No additional restriction was placed on the search, such as the publication year and age of participants. Participants: Seven papers that composed of a total of 442 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All of them recruited children or adolescents. Results: Food commercials caused larger brain responses than nonfood counterparts in the cuneus on both hemispheres, which played a role in dietary self-control and modulation of food craving. Other brain regions involved in food commercials processing included the left culmen, left middle occipital gyrus and the right superior parietal lobule, which could be related to reward, emotional responses and habit formation. Conclusion: These neural correlates may help explain the food choice and eating behaviours of children and adolescents that might be relevant to the development of obesity.

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