title: Large-scale neural network for sentence processing.
abstract: Our model of sentence comprehension includes at least grammatical processes important for structure-building, and executive resources such as working memory that support these grammatical processes. We hypothesized that a core network of brain regions supports grammatical processes, and that additional brain regions are activated depending on the working memory demands associated with processing a particular grammatical feature. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test this hypothesis by comparing cortical activation patterns during coherence judgments of sentences with three different syntactic features. We found activation of the ventral portion of left inferior frontal cortex during judgments of violations of each grammatical feature. Increased recruitment of the dorsal portion of left inferior frontal cortex was seen during judgments of violations of specific grammatical features that appear to involve a more prominent working memory component. Left posterolateral temporal cortex and anterior cingulate were also implicated in judging some of the grammatical features. Our observations are consistent with a large-scale neural network for sentence processing that includes a core set of regions for detecting and repairing several different kinds of grammatical features, and additional regions that appear to participate depending on the working memory demands associated with processing a particular grammatical feature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Ayanna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeVita
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Atavales
authors.forename: Peachie
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Willis
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gee
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Detre
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D011578:Psycholinguistics; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D011932:Reading; D011999:Recruitment, Neurophysiological / Q000502:physiology; D012660:Semantics