Neural correlates of communication modes in medical students using fMRI

Abstract

This study aims to determine if the six different types of communication (Directive, Imaginative, Reflective, Persuasive, Harmonizing, Promoting), as presented in the Process Communication Model, correlate with a respective neural pathway. Participants were 30 medical students with no past medical history. They underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while watching videos typical of each communication type. By comparing each of the six experimental conditions with all the other ones, common activations were detected in the core memory network. Assertive communication styles (Directive, Imaginative) generated activations in conflict detection and resolution related areas, with a predominance in the frontal lobe. Emotive communication (Harmonizing, Promoting) highlighted activations associated with the interpretation of social and emotional cues, with a temporo-occipital predominance. There were no significant activations for the Reflective and Persuasive channel, the two channels that were most coherent with the subjects’ base patterns and communication. This study indicated that out of the six communication types that were analyzed, four have a specific and congruous underlying cerebral process. This shows that neural response patterns vary across different communication styles, reflecting differences in cognitive and emotional processing.