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Updated: May 22, 2026
13:12
Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping
Published on: August 12, 2019
How Shakespeare tempests the brain: neuroimaging insights.
James L Keidel1, Philip M Davis, Victorina Gonzalez-Diaz
1School of Psychology, Bangor University, Wales, UK. j.keidel@bangor.ac.uk
Summary
Shakespearean functional shift (FS) enhances language processing. Neuroimaging reveals unique brain activation, suggesting FS engages listeners more actively in meaning integration.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Shakespeare frequently employed functional shift (FS), a linguistic device altering word grammatical status.
- Prior research indicated FS triggers surprise and re-evaluation, potentially independent of semantic processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain activation patterns associated with Shakespearean functional shift (FS) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- To explore how FS influences semantic processing and listener engagement in meaning integration.
Main Methods:
- fMRI was used to monitor brain activity in participants performing a semantic decision task.
- Participants judged the semantic relationship between sentences, some containing FS, and subsequently presented words.
Main Results:
- Behavioral performance on the semantic task was high and not affected by sentence type.
- Sentences with FS elicited significant activation in distinct brain regions, including the left caudate nucleus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right inferior temporal gyrus, beyond typical language processing areas.
Conclusions:
- Shakespeare's use of FS engages unique neural pathways, suggesting a more active role for the listener in constructing meaning.
- Grammatical creativity in language, as exemplified by FS, recruits specific brain networks for enhanced semantic integration.
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