An analysis of emotions in reversed Japanese sentences and Malay sentences with NIRS

Effective communication relies on the smooth exchange of information, and involves a good understanding of emotions behind the information. Emotions play an important role in language communication. In this study, the authors conducted experiments to understand whether emotional context in language sounds activates what areas of the brain. Twenty-seven Japanese subjects listened to a recording of five reversed Japanese sentences and five Malay sentences: both with emotional intonation and without emotional intonation. A near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system was used to observe the relative changes of blood Hb concentrations in the brain while the subjects were listening to the sentences with and without emotions. The results of the experiments showed that the areas related to working memory tended to be more activated when they were listening to the sentences without emotions for reversed Japanese sentences. However, for Malay sentences, working memory were more activated when the subjects were listening to the sentences with emotions.