Neuropsychology of Communication (eBook)

Title Page 2
Copyright Page 3
Preface 4
Table of Contents 7
List of Contributors 12
Section I The Neuropsychology of Language and Communication 14
1 Biological Basis of Linguistic and Communicative Systems: From Neurolinguistics to Neuropragmatics 15
1.1 Introduction: Neuropsychology for Language and Communication 15
1.2 Properties and Functions of Linguistic and Communicative Processes 17
1.3 Anatomic-structural Models of Language Functioning 19
1.3.1 Classical Models 19
1.3.2 Recent Acquisitions: Sub-cortical Systems and Interface Areas 22
1.4 The Contribution of Neurolinguistics 23
1.4.1 Language Production and Comprehension Processes: Cognitive Models 23
1.4.2 Functional Modularity of Language and Independence of Conceptual, Syntactic, and Semantic Representation Systems 25
1.5 Neuropsychology of Superior Communicative Functions: Neuropragmatics 27
1.5.1 Paralinguistic Components 28
1.5.1.1 Prosodic System 28
1.5.1.2 Neuropsychological Deficits of Prosody 30
1.5.2 Indirect Speech Acts and Pragmatic Functions of Figurative Language 31
1.6 Discourse Neuropragmatics 32
1.6.1 Discourse Competences: the Kintsch and van Dijk Model 32
1.7 Conversational Functions 33
References 34
2 Methods and Research Perspectives on the Neuropsychology of Communication 40
2.1 Introduction 40
2.2 Assumptions of Cognitive Neuropsychology 40
2.2.1 Function-structure Relationship 40
2.2.2 Structural, Functional and Representational Modularity 41
2.3 Methods of Analysis in Cognitive Neuropsychology 42
2.3.1 Experimental and Clinical Methods 42
2.4 Neuropsychological Measures for Language and Communication 43
2.4.1 Neuropsychological Assessment and Psychometric Batteries 43
2.4.2 Observational Indexes 44
2.4.2.1 Non-verbal Indexes and Response Times 45
2.4.2.2 Discriminative, Interference and Priming Indexes 46
2.4.2.3 Eye Movements 46
2.4.3 Psychophysiological Indexes: Neurovegetative Measures 47
2.4.3.1 Skin Conductance Activity 47
2.4.4 Cortical Electrical Activity 48
2.4.4.1 Electroencephalography 48
2.4.4.2 Exogenous and Endogenous Event-Related Potentials 49
2.4.4.3 ERPs, Language, and Communication Studies 49
2.4.4.4 Magnetoencephalography and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 50
2.4.5 Neuroimaging: Structural and Functional Techniques 51
2.4.5.1 Structural Imaging 52
2.4.5.2 Functional Imaging 52
References 54
3 Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Study of Language and Communication 58
3.1 Introduction 58
3.2 TMS and Language Studies 60
3.2.1 Production 60
3.2.2 Comprehension 64
3.3 Motor Area and Language 66
3.4 Conclusions 67
References 68
4 Electromagnetic Indices of Language Processing 71
4.1 Models of Language Comprehension and Production 71
4.2 Electrophysiology of Language 73
4.3 Orthographic Analysis 76
4.4 Phonologic/Phonetic Analysis 78
4.5 Grapheme-to-phoneme Conversion in Reading Deficits (Dyslexia) 82
4.6 Lexical Analysis 86
4.7 Pragmatic Analysis 89
4.8 First- and Second-level Syntactic Analysis 91
4.9 The Representation of Language(s) in the Multilingual Brain: Interpreters and Bilinguals 92
References 97
Section II Neuropragmatics. Psychophysiological,Neuropsychological and Cognitive Correlates 101
5 From Pragmatics to Neuropragmatics 102
5.1 Communication and Pragmatics 102
5.1.1 “Pragmatic Meaning” and the Semantics/Pragmatics Interface 103
5.2 Pragmatic Issues 104
5.2.1 The Origins of Pragmatic Perspective 104
5.2.2 Pragmatic Competence as Communicative “Strategy” and “Option” 104
5.2.3 Pragmatics, Comprehension and Inference 105
5.2.4 Pragmatics and Context: Salience and the Direct Access View 106
5.3 Neuropragmatics 107
5.3.1 The Neuropragmatic Perspective 107
5.3.2 Neuropragmatic Issues 108
5.4 Irony Elaboration: Definition, Models and Empirical Evidence 108
5.4.1 Models of Irony Understanding 110
5.4.2 Irony Comprehension: Empirical Contributions 111
5.4.2.1 ERP Studies 111
5.4.2.2 Clinical Neuropsychology Studies 112
5.4.2.3 Neuroimaging Studies 113
References 115
6 Idiomatic Language Comprehension: Neuropsychological Evidence 119
6.1 Introduction 119
6.2 Experimental Paradigms 121
6.3 Idiom Comprehension in Patients with Focal Brain Lesions 121
6.3.1 Idiom Comprehension in Right-brain-damaged Patients 121
6.3.2 Idiom Comprehension in Aphasic Patients 124
6.3.3 Idiom Comprehension and the Prefrontal Lobe 129
6.3.4 Idiom Comprehension and the Corpus Callosum 130
6.4 Idiom Comprehension in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease 131
6.5 Idiom Comprehension in Schizophrenic Patients 133
6.6 Conclusions 134
References 135
7 Anticipatory Mechanisms in Idiom Comprehension: Psycholinguistic and Electrophysiological Evidence 138
7.1 Introduction 138
7.2 What an Idiomatic Expression Is (and Is Not) 139
7.3 Semantic Forward-looking Mechanisms in Idiom Comprehension 140
7.4 An ERP Study on the Comprehension of Idiomatic Expressions in Italian: The N400 and the Electrophysiological Correlate of Categorical Expectations 145
7.5 Conclusions 149
References 149
8 Towards a Neurophysiology of Language 152
8.1 Introduction 152
8.2 The Neurobiology of Syntax 153
8.3 Semantic Representations in the Brain 155
8.4 Multiple Pathways for Language Processing 158
8.5 Conclusions 159
References 160
Section III From Intentions to Nonverbal Communication 163
9 Intentions and Communication: Cognitive Strategies, Metacognition and Social Cognition 164
9.1 Introduction: Communication as an Intentionalization Process 164
9.1.1 Intentionality and Communicative Intention 165
9.1.2 Intention and Consciousness 165
9.1.3 Consciousness and Attention: Two Autonomous Systems 166
9.1.4 Consciousness Functions for Communication 167
9.2 Planning and Control of Communicative Action 169
9.2.1 Executive Functions 169
9.2.2 Executive Functions for Intentional Communication 170
9.2.3 Working Memory Contribution 171
9.3 Action Strategies for Communication 172
9.3.1 Action Hierarchy Model 172
9.3.2 Strategy Implementation 173
9.3.2.1 Definition of Action Strategies 173
9.3.2.2 Representation of a Schematic Planning of Action 174
9.3.2.3 Action Preparation 174
9.3.3 Self-monitoring and Meta-cognition 175
9.4 The Contribution of Social Neuroscience to Communication 175
9.4.1 Models of the Mental States of Others 176
9.4.2 Meta-cognition and Conversation Regulation 177
References 178
10 The Neuropsychology of Nonverbal Communication: The Facial Expressions of Emotions 181
10.1 Introduction 181
10.2 Facial Expressions: Discrete Categories or Dimensions? 182
10.2.1 What About Intention Attribution? 183
10.2.2 Facial Expressions as Social Signals 184
10.2.3 Facial Expressions of Emotion as Cognitive Functions 185
10.2.4 The Stage Processing Model 186
10.2.5 Structural and Semantic Mechanisms of Emotional Facial Processing. Empirical Evidence 189
10.3 Neuropsychological Correlates of Emotional Facial Processing 191
10.3.1 Regional Brain Support for Face-specific-processing? 192
10.3.2 The Role of the Frontal and Temporal Lobes and of the Limbic Circuit in Emotion Decoding 193
10.3.2.1 The Frontal Lobe 193
10.3.2.2 The Temporal Lobe 193
10.3.2.3 The Limbic Contribution 194
10.3.2.4 The Contribution of the Amygdala 194
10.4 Left and Right Hemispheres in Facial Comprehension 196
10.4.1 Asymmetry of Emotional Processing 197
10.5 The Universe of Emotions: Different Brain Networks for Different Emotions? 199
10.5.1 Emotional Valence and the Arousal of Facial Expressions 199
10.5.2 N200 ERP Effect in Emotional Face Decoding 200
References 202
11 Emotions, Attitudes and Personality: Psychophysiological Correlates 207
11.1 Introduction 207
11.2 Facial Expression of Emotions as an Integrated Symbolic Message 208
11.3 Developmental Issues: Dimensionality in the Child’s Emotional Face Acquisition 208
11.4 The Effect of Personality and Attitudes on Face Comprehension 210
11.4.1 Appetitive vs Defensive Systems and the BIS and BAS Measures 211
11.4.2 New Directions: EEG Brain Oscillations and ERPs 212
11.5 Specialization of the Right Hemisphere in Facial Expressions? 215
11.5.1 Lateralization Effect and Valence 216
11.5.2 Emotional Type Effect Explained by the “Functional Model” 217
11.5.3 Recent Empirical Evidences: Frequency Band Analysis and BIS/BAS 218
References 220
Subject Index 225