Representation of motion concepts in occipitotemporal cortex: fMRI activation, decoding and connectivity analyses

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Linguistics

Background:

• Embodied theories suggest language comprehension recruits sensory-motor brain regions.
• The left lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC) is involved in both motion perception and processing motion language, but specific subregions remain unclear.
• Prior research shows mixed findings regarding the precise localization of motion language processing within the LOTC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate which parts of the LOTC are engaged during the comprehension of motion concepts in language.
• To examine the effects of motion language on brain activity and functional connectivity within the LOTC.
• To test predictions derived from embodied theories of semantic cognition.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to scan participants.
• Participants performed semantic judgments on sentences describing motion and static events.
• Analyses included univariate, multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA), and psychophysiological interaction (PPI) to assess activity and connectivity.

Main Results:

• Multivariate analyses showed that middle and posterior LOTC could decode motion vs. static sentences above chance, outperforming other brain regions.
• Univariate analyses revealed increased activity in the middle LOTC for motion events compared to static events.
• Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses indicated increased connectivity between the middle/posterior LOTC and cognitive control regions during motion event processing.

Conclusions:

• The posterior parts of the LOTC, including motion perception areas, show distinct responses to motion versus static events.
• Comprehending verbal descriptions of motion engages occipitotemporal cortex regions involved in visual motion perception.
• Findings support embodied accounts of semantic processing, linking language comprehension to sensory-motor systems.