Marcella La Cioppa Having a word “on the tip of the tongue” has happened to all of us. Behind this daily phenomenon lie complex brain mechanisms.
We all have been there: you are in a conversation, trying to remember a word, a name, or a title, and. nothing. You know you know it, you can practically feel it, but it just refuses to surface. This common experience, having a word “on the tip of your tongue,” is intriguing and infuriating. But what happens in the brain at such moments? Researchers have queried this question. They have found some interesting findings.
If a word is ‘on the tip of your tongue, several areas in the brain are activated
When a word is “on the tip of your tongue,” different regions of the brain are activated, all working together to locate the word that has escaped. Imagine a team of people scouring a library frantically for a particular book. Similarly, the brain enlists specific regions to assist with the search. Three of the key regions include the anterior cingulate cortex, the prefrontal cortex, and the insula.
Among such structures, which form a network involved in cognitive control, both anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex have different complementary functions whenever a word proves slippery. One is like the supervisor, announcing that there’s a conflict.
Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex evaluates and verifies the information that emerges during the search, ensuring that what is retrieved matches what you’re looking for. The insula, a deeper and less visible part of the brain, contributes to phonological retrieval, helping access the sounds that make up words.
Studies using fMRI reveal how these brain regions collaborate
With the help of devices like fMRI, the scientists witnessed how these regions of the brain cooperate for these kinds of attacks. It’s as if the various sections are coordinating like workers working on a tough problem, joining forces to find that elusive word.
Surprisingly, this annoying phenomenon happens more frequently with age. Research shows that the brain areas in charge of word retrieval, the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula, are less efficient over time. They shrink, much like a once-spotless library gets messy, with misplaced books and mislabeled shelves. And it is more difficult to retrieve a “book,” or in this case, a word.
For example, research has identified that the insula is reduced in activity when word retrieval is being tried in older adults. The reduced activity undermines the ability to construct the phonological content of words, making tip-of-the-tongue phenomena more common. As the insula breaks down with increasing age, it becomes increasingly harder to access words that would have been familiar otherwise.
While more frequent with aging, tip-of-the-tongue moments are completely normal
While it happens more frequently with age, tip-of-the-tongue is totally normal. It demonstrates the intricacy of the brain and that even simple processes—like finding a word—are dependent upon the concurrent firing of many areas.
Another way to compensate for the effects of aging on word recall is to build up what psychologists call cognitive reserve-a resilience factor that grows as a result of mental, physical, and social activities. Cognitive reserve maximizes the brain’s performance and cognitive aging, so word puzzles become less challenging even at older age.
The next time you are having trouble getting a word out of your head, remember that your brain is working hard to locate it. Incomplete information, such as some sounds or similar words, may come first, encouraging you to keep trying. If the word is not readily accessible, take a break and come back to it later when your mind is clear. Such experiences testify to the intricacy and incredible efficiency of the brain.
Source: The Conversation
