scholarly journals The neural and cognitive correlates of aimed throwing in chimpanzees: a magnetic resonance image and behavioural study on a unique form of social tool use

2012 ◽  
Vol 367 (1585) ◽  
pp. 37-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Hopkins ◽  
Jamie L. Russell ◽  
Jennifer A. Schaeffer
Keyword(s):  
Tool Use ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Evolutionary Selection ◽  
Cognitive Correlates ◽  
Hominin Evolution ◽  
Aimed Throwing

It has been hypothesized that neurological adaptations associated with evolutionary selection for throwing may have served as a precursor for the emergence of language and speech in early hominins. Although there are reports of individual differences in aimed throwing in wild and captive apes, to date there has not been a single study that has examined the potential neuroanatomical correlates of this very unique tool-use behaviour in non-human primates. In this study, we examined whether differences in the ratio of white (WM) to grey matter (GM) were evident in the homologue to Broca's area as well as the motor-hand area of the precentral gyrus (termed the KNOB) in chimpanzees that reliably throw compared with those that do not. We found that the proportion of WM in Broca's homologue and the KNOB was significantly higher in subjects that reliably throw compared with those that do not. We further found that asymmetries in WM within both brain regions were larger in the hemisphere contralateral to the chimpanzee's preferred throwing hand. We also found that chimpanzees that reliably throw show significantly better communication abilities than chimpanzees that do not. These results suggest that chimpanzees that have learned to throw have developed greater cortical connectivity between primary motor cortex and the Broca's area homologue. It is suggested that during hominin evolution, after the split between the lines leading to chimpanzees and humans, there was intense selection on increased motor skills associated with throwing and that this potentially formed the foundation for left hemisphere specialization associated with language and speech found in modern humans.

scholarly journals Motor skill for tool-use is associated with asymmetries in Broca’s area and the motor hand area of the precentral gyrus in chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes )

2017 ◽  
Vol 318 ◽  
pp. 71-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Hopkins ◽  
Adrien Meguerditchian ◽  
Olivier Coulon ◽  
Maria Misiura ◽  
Sarah Pope ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Tool Use ◽  
Motor Skill ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Hand Area

scholarly journals Optical Mapping of Brain Activity Underlying Directionality and Its Modulation by Expertise in Mandarin/English Interpreting

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan He ◽  
Yinying Hu ◽  
Yaxi Yang ◽  
Defeng Li ◽  
Yi Hu
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
The Right

Recent neuroimaging research has suggested that unequal cognitive efforts exist between interpreting from language 1 (L1) to language 2 (L2) compared with interpreting from L2 to L1. However, the neural substrates that underlie this directionality effect are not yet well understood. Whether directionality is modulated by interpreting expertise also remains unknown. In this study, we recruited two groups of Mandarin (L1)/English (L2) bilingual speakers with varying levels of interpreting expertise and asked them to perform interpreting and reading tasks. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to collect cortical brain data for participants during each task, using 68 channels that covered the prefrontal cortex and the bilateral perisylvian regions. The interpreting-related neuroimaging data was normalized by using both L1 and L2 reading tasks, to control the function of reading and vocalization respectively. Our findings revealed the directionality effect in both groups, with forward interpreting (from L1 to L2) produced more pronounced brain activity, when normalized for reading. We also found that directionality was modulated by interpreting expertise in both normalizations. For the group with relatively high expertise, the activated brain regions included the right Broca’s area and the left premotor and supplementary motor cortex; whereas for the group with relatively low expertise, the activated brain areas covered the superior temporal gyrus, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the Broca’s area, and visual area 3 in the right hemisphere. These findings indicated that interpreting expertise modulated brain activation, possibly because of more developed cognitive skills associated with executive functions in experienced interpreters.

scholarly journals Dosimetry Analysis in Non-brain Tissues During TMS Exposure of Broca’s and M1 Areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Gomez-Tames ◽  
Keisuke Tani ◽  
Kazuya Hayashi ◽  
Satoshi Tanaka ◽  
Shoogo Ueno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Head Model ◽  
Internal Electric Field ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Pain Thresholds ◽  
Main Adverse Effect

For human protection, the internal electric field is used as a dosimetric quantity for electromagnetic fields lower than 5–10 MHz. According to international standards, in this frequency range, electrostimulation is the main adverse effect against which protection is needed. One of the topics to be investigated is the quantification of the internal electric field threshold levels of perception and pain. Pain has been reported as a side effect during transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), especially during stimulation of the Broca’s (speech) area of the brain. In this study, we designed an experiment to conduct a dosimetry analysis to quantify the internal electric field corresponding to perception and pain thresholds when targeting the Broca’s and M1 areas from magnetic stimulator exposure. Dosimetry analysis was conducted using a multi-scale analysis in an individualized head model to investigate electrostimulation in an axonal model. The main finding is that the stimulation on the primary motor cortex has higher perception and pain thresholds when compared to Broca’s area. Also, TMS-induced electric field applied to Broca’s area exhibited dependence on the coil orientation at lower electric field threshold which was found to be related to the location and thickness of pain fibers. The derived dosimetry quantities provide a scientific rationale for the development of human protection guidelines and the estimation of possible side effects of magnetic stimulation in clinical applications.

On the Neurocognitive Co-Evolution of Tool Behavior and Language: Insights from the Massive Redeployment Framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Osiurak ◽  
Caroline Crétel ◽  
Natalie Uomini ◽  
Chloé Bryche ◽  
Mathieu Lesourd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Tool Use ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Brain Area ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Inferior Parietal Lobe

Understanding the link between brain evolution and the evolution of distinctive features of modern human cognition is a fundamental challenge. A still unresolved question concerns the co-evolution of tool behavior (i.e., tool use or tool making) and language. The shared neurocognitive processes hypothesis suggests that the emergence of the combinatorial component of language skills within the frontal lobe/Broca’s area made possible the complexification of tool-making skills. The importance of frontal lobe/Broca’s area in tool behavior is somewhat surprising with regard to the literature on neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience, which has instead stressed the critical role of the left inferior parietal lobe. Therefore, to be complete, any version of the shared neurocognitive processes hypothesis needs to integrate the potential interactions between the frontal lobe/Broca’s area and the left inferior parietal lobe as well as their co-evolution at a phylogenetic level. Here we sought to provide first elements of answer through the use of the massive deployment framework, which posits that evolutionarily older brain areas are deployed in more cognitive functions (i.e., they are less specific). We focused on the left parietal cortex, and particularly the left areas PF, PGI, and AIP, which are known to be involved in tool use, language, and motor control, respectively. The deployment of each brain area in different cognitive functions was measured by conducting a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Our results confirmed the pattern of specificity for each brain area and also showed that the left area PGI was far less specific than the left areas PF and AIP. From these findings, we discuss the different evolutionary scenarios depicting the potential co-evolution of the combinatorial and generative components of language and tool behavior in our lineage.

scholarly journals Quantitative assessment of pain threshold induced by a single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisuke Tani ◽  
Akimasa Hirata ◽  
Satoshi Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Pain Threshold ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Single Pulse ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Motor Threshold ◽  
Pain Thresholds

AbstractObjectiveTranscranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is commonly used in basic research to evaluate human brain function. Although scalp pain is a side effect, no studies have quantitatively assessed the TMS intensity threshold for inducing pain and whether sensitivity to TMS-induced pain differs between sexes.MethodsWe measured pain thresholds when single-pulse TMS was applied over either Broca’s area (BA) or left primary motor cortex (M1). We compared these thresholds with motor threshold for inducing motor evoked potential (MEP) through M1 stimulation. We also compared pain thresholds for BA and M1 between males and females.ResultsPain thresholds for both sites were significantly lower than motor threshold. Further, the pain threshold for BA was much lower than that for M1. No significant difference was observed between sexes.ConclusionThe results suggest that TMS at an intensity equivalent to motor thresholds, which is often used in experimental or clinical studies, causes slight scalp pain.SignificanceExperimental designs using TMS to evaluate functional relationships between brain and behaviors should consider scalp pain and reduce its likelihood as much as possible.HighlightsWe investigated pain thresholds induced by a single-pulse TMS over the head.Pain thresholds for TMS over Broca’s area (BA) and primary motor cortex (M1) were much lower than motor threshold.No significant differences in the pain thresholds were observed between sexes.

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Apraxia of Speech and Cortical Activation in Patients With Stroke: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1625-1637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Dongyu Wu ◽  
Yinan Cheng ◽  
Weiqun Song ◽  
Ying Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Approximate Entropy ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Apraxia Of Speech ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation

Purpose The study aims to investigate, using anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS), over which site, the left lip region of primary motor cortex (M1) or the Broca's area, there would be better recovery from apraxia of speech (AoS) in patients with poststroke aphasia and to examine for altered activation in speech-related areas after tDCS with nonlinear electroencephalography (EEG). Method Fifty-two patients with AoS were randomized into A-tDCS over the left M1 (A-tDCS-M1), Broca's area, and sham tDCS groups who underwent 10 sessions of tDCS and speech treatment for 5 days. The EEG nonlinear index of approximate entropy was calculated for 6 subjects in each group before and after treatment. Results After treatment, the change in speech-language performance improved more significantly in the A-tDCS-M1 group than the other 2 groups ( p < .05). EEG approximate entropy indicated that both A-tDCS groups could activate the stimulated sites; the improvement in the A-tDCS-M1 group was correlated with high activation in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and Broca's areas of the left hemisphere in addition to the stimulated site. Conclusion A-tDCS over the left M1 can improve the speech function in patients with poststroke aphasia and severe AoS and excite and recruit more areas in the motor speech network.

Language, tools and brain: The ontogeny and phylogeny of hierarchically organized sequential behavior

1991 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia M. Greenfield
Keyword(s):  
Tool Use ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Hierarchical Organization ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Evolution Of Language ◽  
Hierarchical Complexity ◽  
Neural Substrate

AbstractDuring the first two years of human life a common neural substrate (roughly Broca's area) underlies the hierarchical organization of elements in the development of speech as well as the capacity to combine objects manually, including tool use. Subsequent cortical differentiation, beginning at age two, creates distinct, relatively modularized capacities for linguistic grammar and more complex combination of objects. An evolutionary homologue of the neural substrate for language production and manual action is hypothesized to have provided a foundation for the evolution of language before the divergence of the hominids and the great apes. Support comes from the discovery of a Broca's area homologue and related neural circuits in contemporary primates. In addition, chimpanzees have an identical constraint on hierarchical complexity in both tool use and symbol combination. Their performance matches that of the two-year-old child who has not yet developed the neural circuits for complex grammar and complex manual combination of objects.

The hominid tool-language connection: Some missing evolutionary links?

1995 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Maryanski
Keyword(s):  
Tool Use ◽  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Causal Model ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Brain Expansion ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThis commentary criticizes Wilkins & Wakefield's thesis that the neurological precursors of language provide a cognitive Rubicon to linguistically divide human from nonhuman primates. A causal model of their theory is presented, followed by a discussion of the relationship between brain expansion and tool use, Broca's area and the parietaloccipital-temporal junction (POT).

From monkey-like action recognition to human language: An evolutionary framework for neurolinguistics

2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Arbib
Keyword(s):  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Mirror System ◽  
Hominid Evolution ◽  
Complex Object ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Human Language ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Starting Point

The article analyzes the neural and functional grounding of language skills as well as their emergence in hominid evolution, hypothesizing stages leading from abilities known to exist in monkeys and apes and presumed to exist in our hominid ancestors right through to modern spoken and signed languages. The starting point is the observation that both premotor area F5 in monkeys and Broca's area in humans contain a “mirror system” active for both execution and observation of manual actions, and that F5 and Broca's area are homologous brain regions. This grounded the mirror system hypothesis of Rizzolatti and Arbib (1998) which offers the mirror system for grasping as a key neural “missing link” between the abilities of our nonhuman ancestors of 20 million years ago and modern human language, with manual gestures rather than a system for vocal communication providing the initial seed for this evolutionary process. The present article, however, goes “beyond the mirror” to offer hypotheses on evolutionary changes within and outside the mirror systems which may have occurred to equip Homo sapiens with a language-ready brain. Crucial to the early stages of this progression is the mirror system for grasping and its extension to permit imitation. Imitation is seen as evolving via a so-called simple system such as that found in chimpanzees (which allows imitation of complex “object-oriented” sequences but only as the result of extensive practice) to a so-called complex system found in humans (which allows rapid imitation even of complex sequences, under appropriate conditions) which supports pantomime. This is hypothesized to have provided the substrate for the development of protosign, a combinatorially open repertoire of manual gestures, which then provides the scaffolding for the emergence of protospeech (which thus owes little to nonhuman vocalizations), with protosign and protospeech then developing in an expanding spiral. It is argued that these stages involve biological evolution of both brain and body. By contrast, it is argued that the progression from protosign and protospeech to languages with full-blown syntax and compositional semantics was a historical phenomenon in the development of Homo sapiens, involving few if any further biological changes.

Modulation of Motor Excitability during Speech Perception: The Role of Broca's Area

2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 978-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Watkins ◽  
Tomáš Paus
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Motor System ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Posterior Part ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Broca’S Area ◽  
Broca's Area ◽  
Auditory Speech ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Cortical Regions

Studies in both human and nonhuman primates indicate that motor and premotor cortical regions participate in auditory and visual perception of actions. Previous studies, using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), showed that perceiving visual and auditory speech increased the excitability of the orofacial motor system during speech perception. Such studies, however, cannot tell us which brain regions mediate this effect. In this study, we used the technique of combining positron emission tomography with TMS to identify the brain regions that modulate the excitability of the motor system during speech perception. Our results show that during auditory speech perception, there is increased excitability of motor system underlying speech production and that this increase is significantly correlated with activity in the posterior part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca's area). We propose that this area “primes” the motor system in response to heard speech even when no speech output is required and, as such, operates at the interface of perception and action.

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