Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Weisholtz D, Root J, Butler T, Tüscher O, Epstein J, Pan H, Protopopescu X, Goldstein M, Isenberg N, Brendel G, LeDoux J, Silbersweig D, Stern E
Journal Brain Lang
Volume 151
Pagination 12-22
Date Published 11/11/2015
ISSN 1090-2155
Keywords Amygdala, Fear, Neocortex, Semantics
Abstract In this study, healthy volunteers were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural systems involved in processing the threatening content conveyed via visually presented "threat words." The neural responses elicited by these words were compared to those elicited by matched neutral control words. The results demonstrate that linguistic threat, when presented in written form, can selectively engage areas of lateral temporal and inferior frontal cortex, distinct from the core language areas implicated in aphasia. Additionally, linguistic threat modulates neural activity in visceral/emotional systems (amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus and periaqueductal gray), and at earlier stages of the visual-linguistic processing stream involved in visual word form representations (ventral occipitotemporal cortex). We propose a model whereby limbic activation modulates activity at multiple nodes along the visual-linguistic-semantic processing stream, including a perisylvian "semantic access network" involved in decoding word meaning, suggesting a dynamic interplay between feedforward and feedback processes.
DOI 10.1016/j.bandl.2015.10.004
PubMed ID 26575986
PubMed Central ID PMC4743641
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