title: The neural substrates of complex argument structure representations: Processing 'alternating transitivity' verbs.
abstract: This study examines the neural correlates of processing verbal entries with multiple argument structures using fMRI. We compared brain activation in response to 'alternating transitivity' verbs, corresponding to two different verbal alternates - one transitive and one intransitive - and simple verbs, with only one, intransitive, thematic grid. Fourteen young healthy participants performed a lexical decision task with the two verb types. Results showed significantly greater activation in the angular and supramarginal gyri (BAs 39 and 40) extending to the posterior superior and middle temporal gyri bilaterally, for alternating compared to simple verbs. Additional activation was detected in bilateral middle and superior frontal gyri (BAs 8 and 9). The opposite contrast, simple compared to alternating verbs, showed no significant differential activation in any regions of the brain. These findings are consistent with previous studies implicating a posterior network including the superior temporal, supramarginal and angular gyri for processing verbs with multiple thematic roles, as well as with those suggesting involvement of the middle and superior frontal gyri in lexical ambiguity processing. However, because 'alternating transitivity' verbs differ from simple intransitives with regard to both the number of thematic grids (two vs. one) and the number of thematic roles (two vs. one), our findings do not distinguish between activations associated with these two differences.
authors.affiliation: Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meltzer-Asscher
authors.affiliation: Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schuchard
authors.affiliation: Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL ; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Dirk-Bart
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: den Ouden
authors.affiliation: Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL ; Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL ; Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
authors.forename: Cynthia K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Thompson