Navigating through the ebbs and flows of language.
Aline Viol, Alessandro Treves, Elisa Ciaramelli
Current Opinion in Neurobiology October 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.10.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that while spatial navigation is not directly relevant to language at the shortest scale of continuous movement, the verbalization of runaway thoughts at a larger scale involves critical contributions from brain structures also involved in spatial cognition. Proposes that these interactions be modeled at an integrated cortical level allowing compositionality of multiple local attractor states, and suggests psychedelic states may offer a window on the latching dynamics enabled by cortico-cortical interactions. |
Abstract
Is progress in understanding the neural basis for spatial navigation relevant to the human language faculty? Not so much at the shortest scale, where movement is continuous, a recent study in the space of vowels suggests. At a much larger scale, however, that of the verbalization of run-away thoughts, a rich phenomenology appears to involve critical contributions by some of the brain structures also involved in spatial cognition. Their interactions may have to be approached with models operating at an integrated cortical level and allowing for the compositionality of multiple local attractor states. A useful window on the latching dynamics enabled by cortico-cortical interactions may be offered by altered states of consciousness. As an example, psychedelic states have been reported to alter the graph properties of functional connectivity in the cortex so as to facilitate wide-ranging trips.
Citations in the library
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and 10 more in the library