Neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytelling
Abstract Storytelling has been pivotal for the transmission of knowledge across human history, yet the role of semantic control and its associated neural dynamics has been poorly investigated. Here, human participants generated stories that were either appropriate (ordinary), novel (random), or bala...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07913-3 |
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| _version_ | 1849392208668524544 |
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| author | Clara Rastelli Antonino Greco Chiara Finocchiaro Gabriele Penazzi Christoph Braun Nicola De Pisapia |
| author_facet | Clara Rastelli Antonino Greco Chiara Finocchiaro Gabriele Penazzi Christoph Braun Nicola De Pisapia |
| author_sort | Clara Rastelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Storytelling has been pivotal for the transmission of knowledge across human history, yet the role of semantic control and its associated neural dynamics has been poorly investigated. Here, human participants generated stories that were either appropriate (ordinary), novel (random), or balanced (creative), while recording functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Deep language models confirmed participants adherence to task instructions. At the neural level, linguistic and visual areas exhibited neural synchrony across participants regardless of the semantic control level, with parietal and frontal regions being more synchronized during random ideation. Importantly, creative stories were differentiated by a multivariate pattern of neural activity in frontal and fronto-temporo-parietal cortices compared to ordinary and random stories. Crucially, similar brain regions were also encoding the features that distinguished the stories. Moreover, we found specific spatial frequency patterns underlying the modulation of semantic control during story generation, while functional coupling in default, salience, and control networks differentiated creative stories with their controls. Remarkably, the temporal irreversibility between visual and high-level areas was higher during creative ideation, suggesting the enhanced hierarchical structure of causal interactions as a neural signature of creative storytelling. Together, our findings highlight the neural mechanisms underlying the regulation of semantic exploration during narrative ideation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6b0cd856aa9e4a94aee29e4921d99846 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-6b0cd856aa9e4a94aee29e4921d998462025-08-20T03:40:50ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-03-018111710.1038/s42003-025-07913-3Neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytellingClara Rastelli0Antonino Greco1Chiara Finocchiaro2Gabriele Penazzi3Christoph Braun4Nicola De Pisapia5Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of TrentoMEG Center, University of TübingenDepartment of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of TrentoDepartment of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of TrentoMEG Center, University of TübingenDepartment of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of TrentoAbstract Storytelling has been pivotal for the transmission of knowledge across human history, yet the role of semantic control and its associated neural dynamics has been poorly investigated. Here, human participants generated stories that were either appropriate (ordinary), novel (random), or balanced (creative), while recording functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Deep language models confirmed participants adherence to task instructions. At the neural level, linguistic and visual areas exhibited neural synchrony across participants regardless of the semantic control level, with parietal and frontal regions being more synchronized during random ideation. Importantly, creative stories were differentiated by a multivariate pattern of neural activity in frontal and fronto-temporo-parietal cortices compared to ordinary and random stories. Crucially, similar brain regions were also encoding the features that distinguished the stories. Moreover, we found specific spatial frequency patterns underlying the modulation of semantic control during story generation, while functional coupling in default, salience, and control networks differentiated creative stories with their controls. Remarkably, the temporal irreversibility between visual and high-level areas was higher during creative ideation, suggesting the enhanced hierarchical structure of causal interactions as a neural signature of creative storytelling. Together, our findings highlight the neural mechanisms underlying the regulation of semantic exploration during narrative ideation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07913-3 |
| spellingShingle | Clara Rastelli Antonino Greco Chiara Finocchiaro Gabriele Penazzi Christoph Braun Nicola De Pisapia Neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytelling Communications Biology |
| title | Neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytelling |
| title_full | Neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytelling |
| title_fullStr | Neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytelling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytelling |
| title_short | Neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytelling |
| title_sort | neural dynamics of semantic control underlying generative storytelling |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07913-3 |
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