Neural basis for sentence comprehension: grammatical and short-term memory components.
We monitored regional cerebral activity with BOLD fMRI while subjects were presented written sentences differing in their grammatical structure (subject-relative or object-relative center-embedded clauses) and their short-term memory demands (short or long antecedent-gap linkages). A core region of left posterior superior temporal cortex was recruited during all sentence conditions in comparison to a pseudofont baseline, suggesting that this area plays a central role in sustaining comprehension that is common to all sentences. Right posterior superior temporal cortex was recruited during sentences with long compared to short antecedent-gap linkages regardless of grammatical structure, suggesting that this brain region supports passive short-term memory during sentence comprehension. Recruitment of left inferior frontal cortex was most clearly associated with sentences that featured both an object-relative clause and a long antecedent-gap linkage, suggesting that this region supports the cognitive resources required to maintain long-distance syntactic dependencies during the comprehension of grammatically complex sentences.
Cooke
Ayanna
A
Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4283, USA. mgrossma@mail.med.upenn.edu
Zurif
Edgar B
EB
DeVita
Christian
C
Alsop
David
D
Koenig
Phyllis
P
Detre
John
J
Gee
James
J
Pinãngo
Maria
M
Balogh
Jennifer
J
Grossman
Murray
M
D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D011932:Reading; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*