Abstract
The inquiry on the nature of truth in language comprehension has a long history of opposite perspectives. These perspectives either consider that there are qualitative differences in the processing of true and false statements, or that these processes are fundamentally the same and only differ in quantitative terms. The present study evaluated the processing nature of true and false statements in terms of patterns of brain activity using event-related functional-Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging (fMRI). We show that when true and false concept-feature statements are controlled for relation strength/ambiguity, their processing is associated to qualitatively different processes. Verifying true statements activates the left inferior parietal cortex and the caudate nucleus, a neural correlate compatible with an extended search and matching process for particular stored information. In contrast, verifying false statements activates the fronto-polar cortex and is compatible with a reasoning process of finding and evaluating a contradiction between the sentence information and stored knowledge.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 759-768 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Cortex |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
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Keywords
- Cognitive processes
- fMRI
- Language
- Meaning
- Semantic memory
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Cite this
Neural differences in the processing of true and false sentences : Insights into the nature of 'truth' in language comprehension. / Marques, J. Frederico; Canessa, Nicola; Cappa, Stefano.
In: Cortex, Vol. 45, No. 6, 2009, p. 759-768.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Neural differences in the processing of true and false sentences
T2 - Insights into the nature of 'truth' in language comprehension
AU - Marques, J. Frederico
AU - Canessa, Nicola
AU - Cappa, Stefano
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - The inquiry on the nature of truth in language comprehension has a long history of opposite perspectives. These perspectives either consider that there are qualitative differences in the processing of true and false statements, or that these processes are fundamentally the same and only differ in quantitative terms. The present study evaluated the processing nature of true and false statements in terms of patterns of brain activity using event-related functional-Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging (fMRI). We show that when true and false concept-feature statements are controlled for relation strength/ambiguity, their processing is associated to qualitatively different processes. Verifying true statements activates the left inferior parietal cortex and the caudate nucleus, a neural correlate compatible with an extended search and matching process for particular stored information. In contrast, verifying false statements activates the fronto-polar cortex and is compatible with a reasoning process of finding and evaluating a contradiction between the sentence information and stored knowledge.
AB - The inquiry on the nature of truth in language comprehension has a long history of opposite perspectives. These perspectives either consider that there are qualitative differences in the processing of true and false statements, or that these processes are fundamentally the same and only differ in quantitative terms. The present study evaluated the processing nature of true and false statements in terms of patterns of brain activity using event-related functional-Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging (fMRI). We show that when true and false concept-feature statements are controlled for relation strength/ambiguity, their processing is associated to qualitatively different processes. Verifying true statements activates the left inferior parietal cortex and the caudate nucleus, a neural correlate compatible with an extended search and matching process for particular stored information. In contrast, verifying false statements activates the fronto-polar cortex and is compatible with a reasoning process of finding and evaluating a contradiction between the sentence information and stored knowledge.
KW - Cognitive processes
KW - fMRI
KW - Language
KW - Meaning
KW - Semantic memory
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U2 - 10.1016/j.cortex.2008.07.004
DO - 10.1016/j.cortex.2008.07.004
M3 - Article
VL - 45
SP - 759
EP - 768
JO - Cortex
JF - Cortex
SN - 0010-9452
IS - 6
ER -