title: A Predictive Coding Perspective on Beta Oscillations during Sentence-Level Language Comprehension.
abstract: Oscillatory neural dynamics have been steadily receiving more attention as a robust and temporally precise signature of network activity related to language processing. We have recently proposed that oscillatory dynamics in the beta and gamma frequency ranges measured during sentence-level comprehension might be best explained from a predictive coding perspective. Under our proposal we related beta oscillations to both the maintenance/change of the neural network configuration responsible for the construction and representation of sentence-level meaning, and to top-down predictions about upcoming linguistic input based on that sentence-level meaning. Here we zoom in on these particular aspects of our proposal, and discuss both old and new supporting evidence. Finally, we present some preliminary magnetoencephalography data from an experiment comparing Dutch subject- and object-relative clauses that was specifically designed to test our predictive coding framework. Initial results support the first of the two suggested roles for beta oscillations in sentence-level language comprehension.
authors.affiliation: Haskins Laboratories, New HavenCT, USA; Neurobiology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegen, Netherlands; Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud UniversityNijmegen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ashley G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegen, Netherlands; Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud UniversityNijmegen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan-Mathijs
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schoffelen
authors.affiliation: Donders Center for Cognition, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schriefers
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology of Language Department, Max Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegen, Netherlands; Academy for Leisure, NHTV Breda University of Applied SciencesBreda, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bastiaansen
keywords: EEG; MEG; beta; language comprehension; neural oscillations; predictive coding