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Syntax
What are the brain mechanisms linking together words and morphemes into sentences of higher and higher complexities? Scientists at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit use neuroimaging, especially magneto- and electroencephalography, MEG and EEG, to elucidate the neural circuits of syntax and morphological processing. Our recent results show that syntactic brain responses are early (emerging within 200 ms, sometimes even 80 ms), automatic (not requiring focussing of attention) and discrete (behaving in a binary fashion). These findings lend support to linguistic, cognitive and neurobiological theories that view language as a discrete combinatorial system and syntax as a "reflex"-like process.
CBU scientists have developed paradigms for studying the brain basis of syntax and morphological processing which can be applied in patient populations. A range of projects currently looks at MEG measures of syntax and morphology in neurological and neuropsychiatric patient populations with cognitive deficits.
Links to researchers at MRC-CBU whose research focuses on syntax:
For the MRC CBU project SL4 please click here.