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Distinct spatiotemporal patterns of syntactic and semantic processing in human inferior frontal gyrus

Nature Human Behaviour volume 6, pages 1104–1111 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Human languages are based on syntax, a set of rules which allow an infinite number of meaningful sentences to be constructed from a finite set of words. A theory associated with Chomsky and others holds that syntax is a mind-internal, universal structure independent of semantics. This theory, however, has been challenged by studies of the Chinese language showing that syntax is processed under the semantic umbrella, and is secondary and not independent. Here, using intracranial high-density electrocorticography, we find distinct spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus that are specifically associated with syntactic and semantic processing of Chinese sentences. These results suggest that syntactic processing may occur before semantic processing. Our findings are consistent with the view that the human brain implements syntactic structures in a manner that is independent of semantics.

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Fig. 1: Study paradigm and different neural responsivity to semantic and syntactic violation tasks.
Fig. 2: Spatial representation of syntax and semantics.
Fig. 3: Temporal representation of syntax and semantics.

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Data availability

Source data are provided with this paper. The data set generated during the current study will be made available from the authors upon reasonable request.

Code availability

The completely developed code that operates on the full data set will be made available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant on child brain-mind development in China’s Brain Initiative (no. SQ2021AAA010024) and by the Shenzhen Peacock Team Plan (no. KQTD2015033016104926), a Guangdong Pearl River Talents Plan Innovative and Entrepreneurial Team grant (no. 2016ZT06S220), The National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 32171054), a Guangdong Key Basic Research Grant (no. 2018B030332001), Shenzhen Basic Research Grants (nos. JCYJ20170818110103216, JCYJ20170412164413575 and 2021SHIBS0003), the National Top Talent Undergraduate Training Programme (NTTUTP), the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project (no. 2018SHZDZX01), the Shanghai Shenkang Hospital Development Centre (no. SHDC12018114), the Shanghai Rising-Star Programme (no. 19QA1401700) and the Shanghai Pujiang Programme (no. 21PJD007).

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Yanming Zhu, Min Xu, Junfeng Lu, Jianhua Hu.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurologic Surgery Department, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Yanming Zhu, Junfeng Lu, Bin Wu, Jie Zhang & Jinsong Wu

  2. Brain Function Laboratory, Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Yanming Zhu, Junfeng Lu, Bin Wu, Jie Zhang & Jinsong Wu

  3. Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration and Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China

    Yanming Zhu & Li Hai Tan

  4. Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China

    Min Xu

  5. Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China

    Min Xu, Veronica P. Y. Kwok, Yulong Zhou, Di Yuan & Li Hai Tan

  6. Institute of Linguistics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China

    Jianhua Hu

  7. Institute of Brain-Intelligence Technology, Zhangjiang Lab, Shanghai, China

    Jinsong Wu

  8. Shanghai Key laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai, China

    Jinsong Wu

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Contributions

L.H.T. and J.W. conceived and supervised the project. J.L., M.X., Y. Zhu, V.P.Y.K., Y. Zhou, D.Y., B.W. and J.Z. collected the data. J.H., L.H.T., M.X., Y. Zhu, J.L. and J.W. designed the experiment. Y. Zhu, J.L. and M.X. analysed the data. Y. Zhu, J.L., M.X., J.H., J.W. and L.H.T. interpreted the data. Y. Zhu, M.X., J.L., J.H., J.W. and L.H.T. wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jinsong Wu or Li Hai Tan.

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Nature Human Behaviour thanks Heidi Harley and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Peer reviewer reports are available.

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Zhu, Y., Xu, M., Lu, J. et al. Distinct spatiotemporal patterns of syntactic and semantic processing in human inferior frontal gyrus. Nat Hum Behav 6, 1104–1111 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01334-6

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