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Murphy E, Woolnough O. The language network is topographically diverse and driven by rapid syntactic inferences. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:705. [PMID: 39123048 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00852-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Oscar Woolnough
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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2
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Murphy E, Rollo PS, Segaert K, Hagoort P, Tandon N. Multiple dimensions of syntactic structure are resolved earliest in posterior temporal cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 241:102669. [PMID: 39332803 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 09/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024]
Abstract
How we combine minimal linguistic units into larger structures remains an unresolved topic in neuroscience. Language processing involves the abstract construction of 'vertical' and 'horizontal' information simultaneously (e.g., phrase structure, morphological agreement), but previous paradigms have been constrained in isolating only one type of composition and have utilized poor spatiotemporal resolution. Using intracranial recordings, we report multiple experiments designed to separate phrase structure from morphosyntactic agreement. Epilepsy patients (n = 10) were presented with auditory two-word phrases grouped into pseudoword-verb ('trab run') and pronoun-verb either with or without Person agreement ('they run' vs. 'they runs'). Phrase composition and Person violations both resulted in significant increases in broadband high gamma activity approximately 300 ms after verb onset in posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) and posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), followed by inferior frontal cortex (IFC) at 500 ms. While sites sensitive to only morphosyntactic violations were distributed, those sensitive to both composition types were generally confined to pSTS/pMTG and IFC. These results indicate that posterior temporal cortex shows the earliest sensitivity for hierarchical linguistic structure across multiple dimensions, providing neural resources for distinct windows of composition. This region is comprised of sparsely interwoven heterogeneous constituents that afford cortical search spaces for dissociable syntactic relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
| | - Patrick S Rollo
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Katrien Segaert
- School of Psychology & Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Hagoort
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen 6525 HR, the Netherlands
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
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3
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Regev TI, Casto C, Hosseini EA, Adamek M, Ritaccio AL, Willie JT, Brunner P, Fedorenko E. Neural populations in the language network differ in the size of their temporal receptive windows. Nat Hum Behav 2024:10.1038/s41562-024-01944-2. [PMID: 39187713 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01944-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Despite long knowing what brain areas support language comprehension, our knowledge of the neural computations that these frontal and temporal regions implement remains limited. One important unresolved question concerns functional differences among the neural populations that comprise the language network. Here we leveraged the high spatiotemporal resolution of human intracranial recordings (n = 22) to examine responses to sentences and linguistically degraded conditions. We discovered three response profiles that differ in their temporal dynamics. These profiles appear to reflect different temporal receptive windows, with average windows of about 1, 4 and 6 words, respectively. Neural populations exhibiting these profiles are interleaved across the language network, which suggests that all language regions have direct access to distinct, multiscale representations of linguistic input-a property that may be critical for the efficiency and robustness of language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar I Regev
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Colton Casto
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT), Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence, Harvard University, Allston, MA, USA.
| | - Eghbal A Hosseini
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Markus Adamek
- National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Jon T Willie
- National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Peter Brunner
- National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neurology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT), Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Wong MMK, Sha Z, Lütje L, Kong XZ, van Heukelum S, van de Berg WDJ, Jonkman LE, Fisher SE, Francks C. The neocortical infrastructure for language involves region-specific patterns of laminar gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401687121. [PMID: 39133845 PMCID: PMC11348331 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401687121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The language network of the human brain has core components in the inferior frontal cortex and superior/middle temporal cortex, with left-hemisphere dominance in most people. Functional specialization and interconnectivity of these neocortical regions is likely to be reflected in their molecular and cellular profiles. Excitatory connections between cortical regions arise and innervate according to layer-specific patterns. Here, we generated a gene expression dataset from human postmortem cortical tissue samples from core language network regions, using spatial transcriptomics to discriminate gene expression across cortical layers. Integration of these data with existing single-cell expression data identified 56 genes that showed differences in laminar expression profiles between the frontal and temporal language cortex together with upregulation in layer II/III and/or layer V/VI excitatory neurons. Based on data from large-scale genome-wide screening in the population, DNA variants within these 56 genes showed set-level associations with interindividual variation in structural connectivity between the left-hemisphere frontal and temporal language cortex, and with the brain-related disorders dyslexia and schizophrenia which often involve affected language. These findings identify region-specific patterns of laminar gene expression as a feature of the brain's language network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie M. K. Wong
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525XD, The Netherlands
| | - Zhiqiang Sha
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525XD, The Netherlands
| | - Lukas Lütje
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525XD, The Netherlands
| | - Xiang-Zhen Kong
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525XD, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou310058, China
- State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou311121, China
| | - Sabrina van Heukelum
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525XD, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Wilma D. J. van de Berg
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam1007 MB, The Netherlands
- Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1007 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Laura E. Jonkman
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam1007 MB, The Netherlands
- Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1007 MB, The Netherlands
- Brain Imaging, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1007 MB, The Netherlands
| | - Simon E. Fisher
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525XD, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Clyde Francks
- Language & Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen6525XD, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen6525 GA, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen6525 GA, The Netherlands
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5
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Woolnough O, Tandon N. Dissociation of reading and naming in ventral occipitotemporal cortex. Brain 2024; 147:2522-2529. [PMID: 38289871 PMCID: PMC11224612 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Lesions in the language-dominant ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC) can result in selective impairment of either reading or naming, resulting in alexia or anomia. Yet, functional imaging studies that show differential activation for naming and reading do not reveal activity exclusively tuned to one of these inputs. To resolve this dissonance in the functional architecture of the vOTC, we used focused stimulation to the vOTC in 49 adult patients during reading and naming, and generated a population-level, probabilistic map to evaluate if reading and naming are clearly dissociable within individuals. Language mapping (50 Hz, 2829 stimulations) was performed during passage reading (216 positive sites) and visual naming (304 positive sites). Within the vOTC, we isolated sites that selectively disrupted reading (24 sites in 11 patients) or naming (27 sites in 12 patients), and those that disrupted both processes (75 sites in 21 patients). The anteromedial vOTC had a higher probability of producing naming disruption, while posterolateral regions resulted in greater reading-specific disruption. Between them lay a multi-modal region where stimulation disrupted both reading and naming. This work provides a comprehensive view of vOTC organization-the existence of a heteromodal cortex critical to both reading and naming, along with a causally dissociable unimodal naming cortex, and a reading-specific visual word form area in the vOTC. Their distinct roles as associative regions may thus relate to their connectivity within the broader language network that is disrupted by stimulation, more than to highly selective tuning properties. Our work also implies that pre-surgical mapping of both reading and naming is essential for patients requiring vOTC resections, as these functions are not co-localized, and such mapping may prevent the occurrence of unexpected deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Woolnough
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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6
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Chauhan VS, McCook KC, White AL. Reading Reshapes Stimulus Selectivity in the Visual Word Form Area. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0228-24.2024. [PMID: 38997142 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0228-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Reading depends on a brain region known as the "visual word form area" (VWFA) in the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex. This region's function is debated because its stimulus selectivity is not absolute, it is modulated by a variety of task demands, and it is inconsistently localized. We used fMRI to characterize the combination of sensory and cognitive factors that activate word-responsive regions that we precisely localized in 16 adult humans (4 male). We then presented three types of character strings: English words, pseudowords, and unfamiliar characters with matched visual features. Participants performed three different tasks while viewing those stimuli: detecting real words, detecting color in the characters, and detecting color in the fixation mark. There were three primary findings about the VWFA's response: (1) It preferred letter strings over unfamiliar characters even when the stimuli were ignored during the fixation task. (2) Compared with those baseline responses, engaging in the word reading task enhanced the response to words but suppressed the response to unfamiliar characters. (3) Attending to the stimuli to judge their color had little effect on the response magnitudes. Thus, the VWFA is uniquely modulated by a cognitive signal that is specific to voluntary linguistic processing and is not additive. Functional connectivity analyses revealed that communication between the VWFA and a left frontal language area increased when the participant engaged in the linguistic task. We conclude that the VWFA is inherently selective for familiar orthography, but it falls under control of the language network when the task demands it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassiki S Chauhan
- Department of Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
| | - Krystal C McCook
- Department of Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
| | - Alex L White
- Department of Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
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7
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Chauhan VS, McCook KC, White AL. Reading reshapes stimulus selectivity in the visual word form area. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.04.560764. [PMID: 38948708 PMCID: PMC11212929 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.04.560764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Reading depends on a brain region known as the "visual word form area" (VWFA) in left ventral occipito-temporal cortex. This region's function is debated because its stimulus selectivity is not absolute, it is modulated by a variety of task demands, and it is inconsistently localized. We used fMRI to characterize the combination of sensory and cognitive factors that activate word-responsive regions that we precisely localized in 16 adult humans (4 male). We then presented three types of character strings: English words, pseudowords, and unfamiliar characters with matched visual features. Participants performed three different tasks while viewing those stimuli: detecting real words, detecting color in the characters, and detecting color in the fixation mark. There were three primary findings about the VWFA's response: (1) It preferred letter strings over unfamiliar characters even when the stimuli were ignored during the fixation task; (2) Compared to those baseline responses, engaging in the word reading task enhanced the response to words but suppressed the response to unfamiliar characters. (3) Attending to the stimuli to judge their font color had little effect on the response magnitudes. Thus, the VWFA is uniquely modulated by a cognitive signal that is specific to voluntary linguistic processing and is not additive. Functional connectivity analyses revealed that communication between the VWFA and a left frontal language area increased when the participant engaged in the linguistic task. We conclude that the VWFA is inherently selective for familiar orthography, but it falls under control of the language network when the task demands it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassiki S. Chauhan
- Department of Neuroscience & Behavior Barnard College, Columbia University 76 Claremont Ave New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Krystal C McCook
- Department of Neuroscience & Behavior Barnard College, Columbia University 76 Claremont Ave New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Alex L. White
- Department of Neuroscience & Behavior Barnard College, Columbia University 76 Claremont Ave New York, NY 10027 USA
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8
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Fahey D, Fridriksson J, Hickok G, Matchin W. Lesion-symptom Mapping of Acceptability Judgments in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia Reveals the Neurobiological Underpinnings of Receptive Syntax. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:1141-1155. [PMID: 38437175 PMCID: PMC11095916 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Disagreements persist regarding the neural basis of syntactic processing, which has been linked both to inferior frontal and posterior temporal regions of the brain. One focal point of the debate concerns the role of inferior frontal areas in receptive syntactic ability, which is mostly assessed using sentence comprehension involving complex syntactic structures, a task that is potentially confounded with working memory. Syntactic acceptability judgments may provide a better measure of receptive syntax by reducing the need to use high working memory load and complex sentences and by enabling assessment of various types of syntactic violations. We therefore tested the perception of grammatical violations by people with poststroke aphasia (n = 25), along with matched controls (n = 16), using English sentences involving errors in word order, agreement, or subcategorization. Lesion data were also collected. Control participants performed near ceiling in accuracy with higher discriminability of agreement and subcategorization violations than word order; aphasia participants were less able to discriminate violations, but, on average, paralleled control participants discriminability of types of violations. Lesion-symptom mapping showed a correlation between discriminability and posterior temporal regions, but not inferior frontal regions. We argue that these results diverge from models holding that frontal areas are amodal core regions in syntactic structure building and favor models that posit a core hierarchical system in posterior temporal regions.
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Yu L, Dugan P, Doyle W, Devinsky O, Friedman D, Flinker A. A left-lateralized dorsolateral prefrontal network for naming. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.15.594403. [PMID: 38798614 PMCID: PMC11118423 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.15.594403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The ability to connect the form and meaning of a concept, known as word retrieval, is fundamental to human communication. While various input modalities could lead to identical word retrieval, the exact neural dynamics supporting this convergence relevant to daily auditory discourse remain poorly understood. Here, we leveraged neurosurgical electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings from 48 patients and dissociated two key language networks that highly overlap in time and space integral to word retrieval. Using unsupervised temporal clustering techniques, we found a semantic processing network located in the middle and inferior frontal gyri. This network was distinct from an articulatory planning network in the inferior frontal and precentral gyri, which was agnostic to input modalities. Functionally, we confirmed that the semantic processing network encodes word surprisal during sentence perception. Our findings characterize how humans integrate ongoing auditory semantic information over time, a critical linguistic function from passive comprehension to daily discourse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyao Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, New York, 10016, New York, the United States
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, 10016, New York, the United States
| | - Patricia Dugan
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, 10016, New York, the United States
| | - Werner Doyle
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, 10016, New York, the United States
| | - Orrin Devinsky
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, 10016, New York, the United States
| | - Daniel Friedman
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, 10016, New York, the United States
| | - Adeen Flinker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, New York, 10016, New York, the United States
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, 10016, New York, the United States
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10
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Murphy E, Holmes E, Friston K. Natural language syntax complies with the free-energy principle. SYNTHESE 2024; 203:154. [PMID: 38706520 PMCID: PMC11068586 DOI: 10.1007/s11229-024-04566-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Natural language syntax yields an unbounded array of hierarchically structured expressions. We claim that these are used in the service of active inference in accord with the free-energy principle (FEP). While conceptual advances alongside modelling and simulation work have attempted to connect speech segmentation and linguistic communication with the FEP, we extend this program to the underlying computations responsible for generating syntactic objects. We argue that recently proposed principles of economy in language design-such as "minimal search" criteria from theoretical syntax-adhere to the FEP. This affords a greater degree of explanatory power to the FEP-with respect to higher language functions-and offers linguistics a grounding in first principles with respect to computability. While we mostly focus on building new principled conceptual relations between syntax and the FEP, we also show through a sample of preliminary examples how both tree-geometric depth and a Kolmogorov complexity estimate (recruiting a Lempel-Ziv compression algorithm) can be used to accurately predict legal operations on syntactic workspaces, directly in line with formulations of variational free energy minimization. This is used to motivate a general principle of language design that we term Turing-Chomsky Compression (TCC). We use TCC to align concerns of linguists with the normative account of self-organization furnished by the FEP, by marshalling evidence from theoretical linguistics and psycholinguistics to ground core principles of efficient syntactic computation within active inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Emma Holmes
- Department of Speech Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College London, London, WC1N 1PF UK
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3AR UK
| | - Karl Friston
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3AR UK
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11
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Fedorenko E, Ivanova AA, Regev TI. The language network as a natural kind within the broader landscape of the human brain. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:289-312. [PMID: 38609551 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00802-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Language behaviour is complex, but neuroscientific evidence disentangles it into distinct components supported by dedicated brain areas or networks. In this Review, we describe the 'core' language network, which includes left-hemisphere frontal and temporal areas, and show that it is strongly interconnected, independent of input and output modalities, causally important for language and language-selective. We discuss evidence that this language network plausibly stores language knowledge and supports core linguistic computations related to accessing words and constructions from memory and combining them to interpret (decode) or generate (encode) linguistic messages. We emphasize that the language network works closely with, but is distinct from, both lower-level - perceptual and motor - mechanisms and higher-level systems of knowledge and reasoning. The perceptual and motor mechanisms process linguistic signals, but, in contrast to the language network, are sensitive only to these signals' surface properties, not their meanings; the systems of knowledge and reasoning (such as the system that supports social reasoning) are sometimes engaged during language use but are not language-selective. This Review lays a foundation both for in-depth investigations of these different components of the language processing pipeline and for probing inter-component interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Fedorenko
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- The Program in Speech and Hearing in Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Anna A Ivanova
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tamar I Regev
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Sandoval-Bonilla BA, Vargas MFDLC, Nuñez MA, Parpaley Y, Codeiro JG, Cosio JF, de la Torre RAP, Garcia-Muñoz L. Adequate control of seizures in a case of lead migration and neuromodulation of the posterior Sylvian junction: A case report. Surg Neurol Int 2024; 15:124. [PMID: 38742005 PMCID: PMC11090593 DOI: 10.25259/sni_911_2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background This report aims to describe the neuromodulation effect on seizure control in a patient with a left hippocampal migrated electrode to the Posterior Sylvian Junction (PSJ) during a follow-up of 17 years. Case Description We report a case of a female patient with drug-resistant epilepsy who initiated at seven years old and underwent a stereotactic frame-based insertion of a left hippocampal electrode for deep brain stimulation (DBS). Posterior migration of the electrode was identified at PSJ by postoperative magnetic resonance imaging one month after surgery. A consistent seizure reduction (Engel IC) was obtained with 2v-120 uS-145 Hz, contacts 0-3 negative, casing positive DBS parameters and maintained to this day. Patient data were collected from electronic medical records preceded by obtaining an informed consent for research and publication purposes. Stimulation parameter adjustments were confirmed with the digital records of the local device provider (Medtronic). Results PSJ is a connectivity confluence point of white matter pathways in the posterior quadrant of the hemispheres. White mater DBS could be considered for research as a potential complementary target for neuromodulation of refractory epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bayron Alexander Sandoval-Bonilla
- Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Functional NeuroOncology and Epilepsy Surgery Multidisciplinary Board, CMN Siglo XXI, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | - Yaroslav Parpaley
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | | | - Jesus Fonseca Cosio
- Department of Neurosurgery, Functional Neurosurgery Clinic, CMN Siglo XXI, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Luis Garcia-Muñoz
- Department of Radiosurgery, Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
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13
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Zioga I, Zhou YJ, Weissbart H, Martin AE, Haegens S. Alpha and Beta Oscillations Differentially Support Word Production in a Rule-Switching Task. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0312-23.2024. [PMID: 38490743 PMCID: PMC10988358 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0312-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Research into the role of brain oscillations in basic perceptual and cognitive functions has suggested that the alpha rhythm reflects functional inhibition while the beta rhythm reflects neural ensemble (re)activation. However, little is known regarding the generalization of these proposed fundamental operations to linguistic processes, such as speech comprehension and production. Here, we recorded magnetoencephalography in participants performing a novel rule-switching paradigm. Specifically, Dutch native speakers had to produce an alternative exemplar from the same category or a feature of a given target word embedded in spoken sentences (e.g., for the word "tuna", an exemplar from the same category-"seafood"-would be "shrimp", and a feature would be "pink"). A cue indicated the task rule-exemplar or feature-either before (pre-cue) or after (retro-cue) listening to the sentence. Alpha power during the working memory delay was lower for retro-cue compared with that for pre-cue in the left hemispheric language-related regions. Critically, alpha power negatively correlated with reaction times, suggestive of alpha facilitating task performance by regulating inhibition in regions linked to lexical retrieval. Furthermore, we observed a different spatiotemporal pattern of beta activity for exemplars versus features in the right temporoparietal regions, in line with the proposed role of beta in recruiting neural networks for the encoding of distinct categories. Overall, our study provides evidence for the generalizability of the role of alpha and beta oscillations from perceptual to more "complex, linguistic processes" and offers a novel task to investigate links between rule-switching, working memory, and word production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Zioga
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Ying Joey Zhou
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hugo Weissbart
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea E Martin
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen 6525 XD, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 EN, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032
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14
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Desbordes T, King JR, Dehaene S. Tracking the neural codes for words and phrases during semantic composition, working-memory storage, and retrieval. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113847. [PMID: 38412098 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to compose successive words into a meaningful phrase is a characteristic feature of human cognition, yet its neural mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we analyze the cortical mechanisms of semantic composition using magnetoencephalography (MEG) while participants read one-word, two-word, and five-word noun phrases and compared them with a subsequent image. Decoding of MEG signals revealed three processing stages. During phrase comprehension, the representation of individual words was sustained for a variable duration depending on phrasal context. During the delay period, the word code was replaced by a working-memory code whose activation increased with semantic complexity. Finally, the speed and accuracy of retrieval depended on semantic complexity and was faster for surface than for deep semantic properties. In conclusion, we propose that the brain initially encodes phrases using factorized dimensions for successive words but later compresses them in working memory and requires a period of decompression to access them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Desbordes
- Meta AI, Paris, France; Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, NeuroSpin Center, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Jean-Rémi King
- Meta AI, Paris, France; École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Stanislas Dehaene
- Université Paris Saclay, INSERM, CEA, Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, NeuroSpin Center, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Collège de France, PSL University, Paris, France
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15
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Yang L, Xiao X, Yu L, Shen Z, Luo Y, Zhao G, Dou Z, Lin W, Yang J, Yang L, Yu S. Neural mechanisms of working memory dysfunction in patients with chronic insomnia disorder. Sleep Med 2023; 112:151-158. [PMID: 37865032 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2023.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying working memory impairment in patients with chronic insomnia disorder (CID) using event-related potentials (ERP) and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) approaches. METHODS Participants, including CID patients and healthy controls (HCs), completed clinical scales and underwent electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). EEG analysis compared reaction times, P3 amplitudes, event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP), and inter-trial phase synchronisation (ITPS) between CID patients and HCs. Subsequently, frontal regions (i.e., the Superior Frontal Gyrus [SFG] and Middle Frontal Gyrus [MFG]) corresponding to the EEG were selected as seeds for rsFC analysis. Correlation analyses were conducted to further investigate the relationship between functional connectivity abnormalities in brain regions and clinical symptom severity and P3 amplitude in CID patients. RESULTS Compared to HCs, CID patients exhibited slower reaction times across all working memory conditions, with the deficits becoming more pronounced as memory load increased. ERP analysis revealed increased P3 amplitude, theta wave power, and reduced inter-trial synchrony in CID patients. rsFC analysis showed decreased connectivity of SFG-posterior cingulated cortex (PCC), SFG-MFG, and MFG-frontal pole (FP), and increased connectivity of MFG- Middle Temporal Gyrus (MTG)in CID patients. Importantly, a significant correlation was found between the rsFC of SFG-MTG and P3 amplitude during 1-back. CONCLUSION This study confirms deficits in working memory capacity in patients with CID, specifically in the neural mechanisms of cognitive processing that vary depending on the level of cognitive load. Alterations in connectivity patterns within and between the frontal and temporal regions may be the neural basis of the cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yang
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiangwen Xiao
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Liyong Yu
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhifu Shen
- Center of Interventional Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Yucai Luo
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Guangli Zhao
- School of Rehabilitation and Health Preservation, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Zeyang Dou
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenting Lin
- School of Rehabilitation and Health Preservation, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jie Yang
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Lili Yang
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
| | - Siyi Yu
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China; Acupuncture and Brain Science Research Center, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
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16
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Schroën JAM, Gunter TC, Numssen O, Kroczek LOH, Hartwigsen G, Friederici AD. Causal evidence for a coordinated temporal interplay within the language network. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306279120. [PMID: 37963247 PMCID: PMC10666120 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306279120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent neurobiological models on language suggest that auditory sentence comprehension is supported by a coordinated temporal interplay within a left-dominant brain network, including the posterior inferior frontal gyrus (pIFG), posterior superior temporal gyrus and sulcus (pSTG/STS), and angular gyrus (AG). Here, we probed the timing and causal relevance of the interplay between these regions by means of concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG). Our TMS-EEG experiments reveal region- and time-specific causal evidence for a bidirectional information flow from left pSTG/STS to left pIFG and back during auditory sentence processing. Adapting a condition-and-perturb approach, our findings further suggest that the left pSTG/STS can be supported by the left AG in a state-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joëlle A. M. Schroën
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Thomas C. Gunter
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Ole Numssen
- Methods and Development Group Brain Networks, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Leon O. H. Kroczek
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg93053, Germany
| | - Gesa Hartwigsen
- Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
- Cognitive and Biological Psychology, Wilhelm Wundt Institute for Psychology, Leipzig04109, Germany
| | - Angela D. Friederici
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig04103, Germany
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Murphy E, Forseth KJ, Donos C, Snyder KM, Rollo PS, Tandon N. The spatiotemporal dynamics of semantic integration in the human brain. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6336. [PMID: 37875526 PMCID: PMC10598228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42087-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Language depends critically on the integration of lexical information across multiple words to derive semantic concepts. Limitations of spatiotemporal resolution have previously rendered it difficult to isolate processes involved in semantic integration. We utilized intracranial recordings in epilepsy patients (n = 58) who read written word definitions. Descriptions were either referential or non-referential to a common object. Semantically referential sentences enabled high frequency broadband gamma activation (70-150 Hz) of the inferior frontal sulcus (IFS), medial parietal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial temporal lobe in the left, language-dominant hemisphere. IFS, OFC and posterior middle temporal gyrus activity was modulated by the semantic coherence of non-referential sentences, exposing semantic effects that were independent of task-based referential status. Components of this network, alongside posterior superior temporal sulcus, were engaged for referential sentences that did not clearly reduce the lexical search space by the final word. These results indicate the existence of complementary cortical mosaics for semantic integration in posterior temporal and inferior frontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Kiefer J Forseth
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Donos
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Măgurele, 077125, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Kathryn M Snyder
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Patrick S Rollo
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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18
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McCarty MJ, Murphy E, Scherschligt X, Woolnough O, Morse CW, Snyder K, Mahon BZ, Tandon N. Intraoperative cortical localization of music and language reveals signatures of structural complexity in posterior temporal cortex. iScience 2023; 26:107223. [PMID: 37485361 PMCID: PMC10362292 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Language and music involve the productive combination of basic units into structures. It remains unclear whether brain regions sensitive to linguistic and musical structure are co-localized. We report an intraoperative awake craniotomy in which a left-hemispheric language-dominant professional musician underwent cortical stimulation mapping (CSM) and electrocorticography of music and language perception and production during repetition tasks. Musical sequences were melodic or amelodic, and differed in algorithmic compressibility (Lempel-Ziv complexity). Auditory recordings of sentences differed in syntactic complexity (single vs. multiple phrasal embeddings). CSM of posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) disrupted music perception and production, along with speech production. pSTG and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) activated for language and music (broadband gamma; 70-150 Hz). pMTG activity was modulated by musical complexity, while pSTG activity was modulated by syntactic complexity. This points to shared resources for music and language comprehension, but distinct neural signatures for the processing of domain-specific structural features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith J. McCarty
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xavier Scherschligt
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oscar Woolnough
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cale W. Morse
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kathryn Snyder
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bradford Z. Mahon
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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19
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Woolnough O, Donos C, Murphy E, Rollo PS, Roccaforte ZJ, Dehaene S, Tandon N. Spatiotemporally distributed frontotemporal networks for sentence reading. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300252120. [PMID: 37068244 PMCID: PMC10151604 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300252120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Reading a sentence entails integrating the meanings of individual words to infer more complex, higher-order meaning. This highly rapid and complex human behavior is known to engage the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and middle temporal gyrus (MTG) in the language-dominant hemisphere, yet whether there are distinct contributions of these regions to sentence reading is still unclear. To probe these neural spatiotemporal dynamics, we used direct intracranial recordings to measure neural activity while reading sentences, meaning-deficient Jabberwocky sentences, and lists of words or pseudowords. We isolated two functionally and spatiotemporally distinct frontotemporal networks, each sensitive to distinct aspects of word and sentence composition. The first distributed network engages the IFG and MTG, with IFG activity preceding MTG. Activity in this network ramps up over the duration of a sentence and is reduced or absent during Jabberwocky and word lists, implying its role in the derivation of sentence-level meaning. The second network engages the superior temporal gyrus and the IFG, with temporal responses leading those in frontal lobe, and shows greater activation for each word in a list than those in sentences, suggesting that sentential context enables greater efficiency in the lexical and/or phonological processing of individual words. These adjacent, yet spatiotemporally dissociable neural mechanisms for word- and sentence-level processes shed light on the richly layered semantic networks that enable us to fluently read. These results imply distributed, dynamic computation across the frontotemporal language network rather than a clear dichotomy between the contributions of frontal and temporal structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Woolnough
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX77030
| | - Cristian Donos
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX77030
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 050663Bucharest, Romania
| | - Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX77030
| | - Patrick S. Rollo
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX77030
| | - Zachary J. Roccaforte
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX77030
| | - Stanislas Dehaene
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Université Paris-Saclay, INSERM, CEA, NeuroSpin Center, 91191Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Collège de France, 75005Paris, France
| | - Nitin Tandon
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, TX77030
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX77030
- Memorial Hermann Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX77030
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20
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Murphy E. ROSE: A Neurocomputational Architecture for Syntax. ARXIV 2023:arXiv:2303.08877v1. [PMID: 36994166 PMCID: PMC10055479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive model of natural language processing in the brain must accommodate four components: representations, operations, structures and encoding. It further requires a principled account of how these different components mechanistically, and causally, relate to each another. While previous models have isolated regions of interest for structure-building and lexical access, and have utilized specific neural recording measures to expose possible signatures of syntax, many gaps remain with respect to bridging distinct scales of analysis that map onto these four components. By expanding existing accounts of how neural oscillations can index various linguistic processes, this article proposes a neurocomputational architecture for syntax, termed the ROSE model (Representation, Operation, Structure, Encoding). Under ROSE, the basic data structures of syntax are atomic features, types of mental representations (R), and are coded at the single-unit and ensemble level. Elementary computations (O) that transform these units into manipulable objects accessible to subsequent structure-building levels are coded via high frequency broadband γ activity. Low frequency synchronization and cross-frequency coupling code for recursive categorial inferences (S). Distinct forms of low frequency coupling and phase-amplitude coupling (δ-θ coupling via pSTS-IFG; θ-γ coupling via IFG to conceptual hubs in lateral and ventral temporal cortex) then encode these structures onto distinct workspaces (E). Causally connecting R to O is spike-phase/LFP coupling; connecting O to S is phase-amplitude coupling; connecting S to E is a system of frontotemporal traveling oscillations; connecting E back to lower levels is low-frequency phase resetting of spike-LFP coupling. This compositional neural code has important implications for algorithmic accounts, since it makes concrete predictions for the appropriate level of study for psycholinguistic parsing models. ROSE is reliant on neurophysiologically plausible mechanisms, is supported at all four levels by a range of recent empirical research, and provides an anatomically precise and falsifiable grounding for the basic property of natural language syntax: hierarchical, recursive structure-building.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Murphy
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Institute for Restorative Neurotechnologies, UTHealth, Houston, TX, USA
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