Simple Composition: A Magnetoencephalography Investigation into the Comprehension of Minimal Linguistic Phrases

摘要: The expressive power of language lies in its ability to construct an infinite array ideas out a finite set pieces. Surprisingly, few neurolinguistic investigations probe the basic processes that constitute foundation this ability, choosing instead focus on relatively complex combinatorial operations. Contrastingly, present work, we investigate neural circuits underlying simple linguistic composition, such as required by minimal phrase "red boat." Using magnetoencephalography, examined activity humans generated at visual presentation target nouns, "boat," and varied operations induced surrounding context. Nouns compositional contexts ("red boat") were compared with those appearing matched non-compositional contexts, after unpronounceable consonant string ("xkq or within list ("cup, boat"). Source analysis did not implicate traditional areas (inferior frontal gyrus, posterior temporal regions) composition. Instead, found increased combinatorial-related left anterior lobe (LATL) ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). These regions have been linked previously syntactic semantic (vmPFC) processing more contexts. Thus, suggest these play role respectively. Importantly, ordering effects, which LATL (∼225 ms) precedes vmPFC (∼400 ms), is consistent many models posit composition before during construction representations.