Online neurostimulation of Broca’s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combination
Categorical predictions have been proposed as the key mechanism supporting the fast pace of syntactic composition in language. Accordingly, grammar-based expectations are formed—e.g., the determiner “a” triggers the prediction for a noun—and facilitate the analysis of incoming syntactic information,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.968836/full |
| _version_ | 1797979132717432832 |
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| author | Matteo Maran Matteo Maran Ole Numssen Gesa Hartwigsen Emiliano Zaccarella |
| author_facet | Matteo Maran Matteo Maran Ole Numssen Gesa Hartwigsen Emiliano Zaccarella |
| author_sort | Matteo Maran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Categorical predictions have been proposed as the key mechanism supporting the fast pace of syntactic composition in language. Accordingly, grammar-based expectations are formed—e.g., the determiner “a” triggers the prediction for a noun—and facilitate the analysis of incoming syntactic information, which is then checked against a single or few other word categories. Previous functional neuroimaging studies point towards Broca’s area in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) as one fundamental cortical region involved in categorical prediction during incremental language processing. Causal evidence for this hypothesis is however still missing. In this study, we combined Electroencephalography (EEG) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to test whether Broca’s area is functionally relevant in predictive mechanisms for language. We transiently perturbed Broca’s area during the first word in a two-word construction, while simultaneously measuring the Event-Related Potential (ERP) correlates of syntactic composition. We reasoned that if Broca’s area is involved in predictive mechanisms for syntax, disruptive TMS during the first word would mitigate the difference in the ERP responses for predicted and unpredicted categories in basic two-word constructions. Contrary to this hypothesis, perturbation of Broca’s area at the predictive stage did not affect the ERP correlates of basic composition. The correlation strength between the electrical field induced by TMS and the ERP responses further confirmed this pattern. We discuss the present results considering an alternative account of the role of Broca’s area in syntactic composition, namely the bottom-up integration of words into constituents, and of compensatory mechanisms within the language predictive network. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:34:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dbf70b7d02ec4cc6a1eafe7613d491c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:34:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-dbf70b7d02ec4cc6a1eafe7613d491c92022-12-22T15:54:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-10-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.968836968836Online neurostimulation of Broca’s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combinationMatteo Maran0Matteo Maran1Ole Numssen2Gesa Hartwigsen3Emiliano Zaccarella4Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, GermanyInternational Max Planck Research School on Neuroscience of Communication: Function, Structure, and Plasticity, Leipzig, GermanyLise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, GermanyLise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, GermanyCategorical predictions have been proposed as the key mechanism supporting the fast pace of syntactic composition in language. Accordingly, grammar-based expectations are formed—e.g., the determiner “a” triggers the prediction for a noun—and facilitate the analysis of incoming syntactic information, which is then checked against a single or few other word categories. Previous functional neuroimaging studies point towards Broca’s area in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) as one fundamental cortical region involved in categorical prediction during incremental language processing. Causal evidence for this hypothesis is however still missing. In this study, we combined Electroencephalography (EEG) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to test whether Broca’s area is functionally relevant in predictive mechanisms for language. We transiently perturbed Broca’s area during the first word in a two-word construction, while simultaneously measuring the Event-Related Potential (ERP) correlates of syntactic composition. We reasoned that if Broca’s area is involved in predictive mechanisms for syntax, disruptive TMS during the first word would mitigate the difference in the ERP responses for predicted and unpredicted categories in basic two-word constructions. Contrary to this hypothesis, perturbation of Broca’s area at the predictive stage did not affect the ERP correlates of basic composition. The correlation strength between the electrical field induced by TMS and the ERP responses further confirmed this pattern. We discuss the present results considering an alternative account of the role of Broca’s area in syntactic composition, namely the bottom-up integration of words into constituents, and of compensatory mechanisms within the language predictive network.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.968836/fullBroca’s areasyntaxpredictiontwo-wordTMS-EEGEEG |
| spellingShingle | Matteo Maran Matteo Maran Ole Numssen Gesa Hartwigsen Emiliano Zaccarella Online neurostimulation of Broca’s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combination Frontiers in Psychology Broca’s area syntax prediction two-word TMS-EEG EEG |
| title | Online neurostimulation of Broca’s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combination |
| title_full | Online neurostimulation of Broca’s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combination |
| title_fullStr | Online neurostimulation of Broca’s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combination |
| title_full_unstemmed | Online neurostimulation of Broca’s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combination |
| title_short | Online neurostimulation of Broca’s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions: A combined TMS-EEG approach to basic linguistic combination |
| title_sort | online neurostimulation of broca s area does not interfere with syntactic predictions a combined tms eeg approach to basic linguistic combination |
| topic | Broca’s area syntax prediction two-word TMS-EEG EEG |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.968836/full |
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