title: The Neural Representation of Sequences: From Transition Probabilities to Algebraic Patterns and Linguistic Trees.
abstract: A sequence of images, sounds, or words can be stored at several levels of detail, from specific items and their timing to abstract structure. We propose a taxonomy of five distinct cerebral mechanisms for sequence coding: transitions and timing knowledge, chunking, ordinal knowledge, algebraic patterns, and nested tree structures. In each case, we review the available experimental paradigms and list the behavioral and neural signatures of the systems involved. Tree structures require a specific recursive neural code, as yet unidentified by electrophysiology, possibly unique to humans, and which may explain the singularity of human language and cognition.
authors.affiliation: Collège de France, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France; Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DSV/I2BM, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France. Electronic address: stanislas.dehaene@cea.fr.
authors.forename: Stanislas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dehaene
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DSV/I2BM, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Florent
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meyniel
authors.affiliation: Collège de France, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France; Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DSV/I2BM, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wacongne
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DSV/I2BM, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pallier
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D011336:Probability