Mapping the Changing Neural Architecture of Narrative Processing Using Naturalistic Stimuli: an fMRI Study

A narrative is a coherent representation of actual or fictional events designed to connect experiences. Narratives provide a unique opportunity to investigate brain functions in scenarios more closely resembling real-world experiences. However, most neuroimaging studies examining narrative formation have utilized static stimuli that fail to capture the intricacies of narrative construction in everyday life, particularly how cognitive demands change over the course of narrative processing. The current research uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine dynamic narrative processing over the course of a full-length audiovisual narrative. We examined changes in neural synchrony (as quantified by intersubject correlations) in areas related to semantic memory, episodic memory, and visuospatial attention between the beginning, middle, and end of the narrative. Results from two experiments identified two core narrative processing networks responsible for constructing coherent representations across extended timescales. The first network is associated with the early narrative construction, and includes the right intraparietal sulcus/superior parietal lobule, bilateral angular gyrus, bilateral precuneus, and left fusiform gyrus. The second network consists of the right ventral frontal cortex and bilateral parahippocampal cortices, and is associated with longer term narrative integration. Together, these regions provide the framework for successful narrative processing during naturalistic stimuli.