Why is that Hammer in My Coffee? A Multimodal Imaging Investigation of Contextually Based Tool Understanding

Abstract

Appropriate tool–object pairing is a natural part of our lives. When preparing to stir coffee, we know that a hammer is useful for some tasks but that it is not appropriate in this behavioral context. The neural correlates of this context–tool pairing process remain unclear. In the current work, we used event-related electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine neural correlates for differentiating contextually correct and incorrect tool use. Subjects were shown images depicting correct (e.g., spoon used to stir coffee) or incorrect (e.g., hammer used to stir coffee) tool use. We identified distinct regional and temporal activations for identifying incorrect versus correct tool use. The posterior cingulate, insula, and superior temporal gyrus preferentially differentiated incorrect tool–object usage, while occipital, parietal, and frontal areas were active in identifying correct tool use. Source localized EEG analysis confirmed the fMRI data and showed phases of activation, where incorrect tool-use activation (0–200 ms) preceded occipitotemporal activation for correct tool use (300–400 ms). This work extends our previous findings to better identify the neural substrate for contextual evaluation of tool use, and may contribute to our understanding of neurological disorders resulting in tool-use deficits.

The bottle and the glass say to me: “Pour!”

“…empty or full; with or without the nutshell). A neuroimaging and EEG study (Mizelle and Wheaton 2010) has shown that the contextual correctness/ incorrectness of tool-object interaction activated distinct brain regions. Specifically, incorrectness activated temporal area, cingulate area and insula, whereas correctness activated parietal and frontal areas.…”

“…These data are in accordance with the concepts of compatibility, suitability and actual state of artefacts proposed for working affordances. Indeed, Mizelle and Wheaton (2010) suggested that activation of insula and superior temporal cortex may serve as a ''gatekeeper'', for the evaluation of the contextual correctness of possible interactions between presented artefacts (e.g. bottle with empty glass).…”

Tool selection and the ventral‐dorsal organization of tool‐related knowledge

“…; Perini et al. ), while more anterior regions of the MTG are recently associated with knowledge about a tool's use, such as tool‐recipient matches and mismatches (Mizelle and Wheaton ,b), and other tool‐related semantic knowledge (Ishibashi et al. ).…”

Distinctive laterality of neural networks supporting action understanding in left- and right-handed individuals: An EEG coherence study

“…The temporal window of coherence analysis of interest was based on the detailed theoretical methodology in this previous work. This work focused on the time of ~400 ms (280-526 ms, centered at 408 ms), based on prior studies showing that neural responses related to comprehension of skilled action occur within the first 400 ms of the image presentation (Mizelle & Wheaton, 2010). Also, due to multiple factors involving decision making possibly influencing the neural networks at a later time window, we sought after the time window of the earliest response to the image.…”