Neuropsychology of Communication

Title Page

Copyright Page

Preface

Table of Contents

List of Contributors

Section I The Neuropsychology of Language and Communication

1 Biological Basis of Linguistic and Communicative Systems: From Neurolinguistics to Neuropragmatics

1.1 Introduction: Neuropsychology for Language and Communication

1.2 Properties and Functions of Linguistic and Communicative Processes

1.3 Anatomic-structural Models of Language Functioning

1.3.1 Classical Models

1.3.2 Recent Acquisitions: Sub-cortical Systems and Interface Areas

1.4 The Contribution of Neurolinguistics

1.4.1 Language Production and Comprehension Processes: Cognitive Models

1.4.2 Functional Modularity of Language and Independence of Conceptual, Syntactic, and Semantic Representation Systems

1.5 Neuropsychology of Superior Communicative Functions: Neuropragmatics

1.5.1 Paralinguistic Components

1.5.1.1 Prosodic System

1.5.1.2 Neuropsychological Deficits of Prosody

1.5.2 Indirect Speech Acts and Pragmatic Functions of Figurative Language

1.6 Discourse Neuropragmatics

1.6.1 Discourse Competences: the Kintsch and van Dijk Model

1.7 Conversational Functions

References

2 Methods and Research Perspectives on the Neuropsychology of Communication

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Assumptions of Cognitive Neuropsychology

2.2.1 Function-structure Relationship

2.2.2 Structural, Functional and Representational Modularity

2.3 Methods of Analysis in Cognitive Neuropsychology

2.3.1 Experimental and Clinical Methods

2.4 Neuropsychological Measures for Language and Communication

2.4.1 Neuropsychological Assessment and Psychometric Batteries

2.4.2 Observational Indexes

2.4.2.1 Non-verbal Indexes and Response Times

2.4.2.2 Discriminative, Interference and Priming Indexes

2.4.2.3 Eye Movements

2.4.3 Psychophysiological Indexes: Neurovegetative Measures

2.4.3.1 Skin Conductance Activity

2.4.4 Cortical Electrical Activity

2.4.4.1 Electroencephalography

2.4.4.2 Exogenous and Endogenous Event-Related Potentials

2.4.4.3 ERPs, Language, and Communication Studies

2.4.4.4 Magnetoencephalography and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

2.4.5 Neuroimaging: Structural and Functional Techniques

2.4.5.1 Structural Imaging

2.4.5.2 Functional Imaging

References

3 Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Study of Language and Communication

3.1 Introduction

3.2 TMS and Language Studies

3.2.1 Production

3.2.2 Comprehension

3.3 Motor Area and Language

3.4 Conclusions

References

4 Electromagnetic Indices of Language Processing

4.1 Models of Language Comprehension and Production

4.2 Electrophysiology of Language

4.3 Orthographic Analysis

4.4 Phonologic/Phonetic Analysis

4.5 Grapheme-to-phoneme Conversion in Reading Deficits (Dyslexia)

4.6 Lexical Analysis

4.7 Pragmatic Analysis

4.8 First- and Second-level Syntactic Analysis

4.9 The Representation of Language(s) in the Multilingual Brain: Interpreters and Bilinguals

References

Section II Neuropragmatics. Psychophysiological,Neuropsychological and Cognitive Correlates

5 From Pragmatics to Neuropragmatics

5.1 Communication and Pragmatics

5.1.1 “Pragmatic Meaning” and the Semantics/Pragmatics Interface

5.2 Pragmatic Issues

5.2.1 The Origins of Pragmatic Perspective

5.2.2 Pragmatic Competence as Communicative “Strategy” and “Option”

5.2.3 Pragmatics, Comprehension and Inference

5.2.4 Pragmatics and Context: Salience and the Direct Access View

5.3 Neuropragmatics

5.3.1 The Neuropragmatic Perspective

5.3.2 Neuropragmatic Issues

5.4 Irony Elaboration: Definition, Models and Empirical Evidence

5.4.1 Models of Irony Understanding

5.4.2 Irony Comprehension: Empirical Contributions

5.4.2.1 ERP Studies

5.4.2.2 Clinical Neuropsychology Studies

5.4.2.3 Neuroimaging Studies

References

6 Idiomatic Language Comprehension: Neuropsychological Evidence

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Experimental Paradigms

6.3 Idiom Comprehension in Patients with Focal Brain Lesions

6.3.1 Idiom Comprehension in Right-brain-damaged Patients

6.3.2 Idiom Comprehension in Aphasic Patients

6.3.3 Idiom Comprehension and the Prefrontal Lobe

6.3.4 Idiom Comprehension and the Corpus Callosum

6.4 Idiom Comprehension in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

6.5 Idiom Comprehension in Schizophrenic Patients

6.6 Conclusions

References

7 Anticipatory Mechanisms in Idiom Comprehension: Psycholinguistic and Electrophysiological Evidence

7.1 Introduction

7.2 What an Idiomatic Expression Is (and Is Not)

7.3 Semantic Forward-looking Mechanisms in Idiom Comprehension

7.4 An ERP Study on the Comprehension of Idiomatic Expressions in Italian: The N400 and the Electrophysiological Correlate of Categorical Expectations

7.5 Conclusions

References

8 Towards a Neurophysiology of Language

8.1 Introduction

8.2 The Neurobiology of Syntax

8.3 Semantic Representations in the Brain

8.4 Multiple Pathways for Language Processing

8.5 Conclusions

References

Section III From Intentions to Nonverbal Communication

9 Intentions and Communication: Cognitive Strategies, Metacognition and Social Cognition

9.1 Introduction: Communication as an Intentionalization Process

9.1.1 Intentionality and Communicative Intention

9.1.2 Intention and Consciousness

9.1.3 Consciousness and Attention: Two Autonomous Systems

9.1.4 Consciousness Functions for Communication

9.2 Planning and Control of Communicative Action

9.2.1 Executive Functions

9.2.2 Executive Functions for Intentional Communication

9.2.3 Working Memory Contribution

9.3 Action Strategies for Communication

9.3.1 Action Hierarchy Model

9.3.2 Strategy Implementation

9.3.2.1 Definition of Action Strategies

9.3.2.2 Representation of a Schematic Planning of Action

9.3.2.3 Action Preparation

9.3.3 Self-monitoring and Meta-cognition

9.4 The Contribution of Social Neuroscience to Communication

9.4.1 Models of the Mental States of Others

9.4.2 Meta-cognition and Conversation Regulation

References

10 The Neuropsychology of Nonverbal Communication: The Facial Expressions of Emotions

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Facial Expressions: Discrete Categories or Dimensions?

10.2.1 What About Intention Attribution?

10.2.2 Facial Expressions as Social Signals

10.2.3 Facial Expressions of Emotion as Cognitive Functions

10.2.4 The Stage Processing Model

10.2.5 Structural and Semantic Mechanisms of Emotional Facial Processing. Empirical Evidence

10.3 Neuropsychological Correlates of Emotional Facial Processing

10.3.1 Regional Brain Support for Face-specific-processing?

10.3.2 The Role of the Frontal and Temporal Lobes and of the Limbic Circuit in Emotion Decoding

10.3.2.1 The Frontal Lobe

10.3.2.2 The Temporal Lobe

10.3.2.3 The Limbic Contribution

10.3.2.4 The Contribution of the Amygdala

10.4 Left and Right Hemispheres in Facial Comprehension

10.4.1 Asymmetry of Emotional Processing

10.5 The Universe of Emotions: Different Brain Networks for Different Emotions?

10.5.1 Emotional Valence and the Arousal of Facial Expressions

10.5.2 N200 ERP Effect in Emotional Face Decoding

References

11 Emotions, Attitudes and Personality: Psychophysiological Correlates

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Facial Expression of Emotions as an Integrated Symbolic Message

11.3 Developmental Issues: Dimensionality in the Child’s Emotional Face Acquisition

11.4 The Effect of Personality and Attitudes on Face Comprehension

11.4.1 Appetitive vs Defensive Systems and the BIS and BAS Measures

11.4.2 New Directions: EEG Brain Oscillations and ERPs

11.5 Specialization of the Right Hemisphere in Facial Expressions?

11.5.1 Lateralization Effect and Valence

11.5.2 Emotional Type Effect Explained by the “Functional Model”

11.5.3 Recent Empirical Evidences: Frequency Band Analysis and BIS/BAS

References

Subject Index