Abstract
Previous research has shown that comprehension of complex sentences involving wh-movement (e.g., object-relative clauses) elicits activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and left posterior temporal cortex. However, relatively little is known about the neural correlates of processing passive sentences, which differ from other complex sentences in terms of representation (i.e., noun phrase (NP)-movement) and processing (i.e., the time course of syntactic reanalysis). In the present study, 27 adults (14 younger and 13 older) listened to passive and active sentences and performed a sentence-picture verification task using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Passive sentences, relative to active sentences, elicited greater activation in bilateral IFG and left temporo-occipital regions. Participant age did not significantly affect patterns of activation. Consistent with previous research, activation in left temporo-occipital cortex likely reflects thematic reanalysis processes, whereas, activation in the left IFG supports processing of complex syntax (i.e., NP-movement). Right IFG activation may reflect syntactic reanalysis processing demands associated with the sentence-picture verification task.
Highlights
A considerable body of research has investigated the neural basis of sentence comprehension by comparing complex to simple sentences
Despite differences between Japanese and English passives with respect to linguistic representation [41] and processing costs [39], the present results indicate that English passives, like Japanese passives, elicit left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) activation, possibly because passive sentences in both languages require syntactic reanalysis
The results of the present study suggest that in both younger and older adults, comprehension of passive sentences is supported by bilateral IFG and left posterior temporo-occipital regions
Summary
A considerable body of research has investigated the neural basis of sentence comprehension by comparing complex to simple sentences. Thothathiri, Kimberg, and Schwartz [59], in a voxel-based lesion mapping (VLSM) study in stroke-induced aphasia, found correlations between noncanonical sentence comprehension deficits and lesions in the left temporo-parietal cortex, as well as other regions, but not in Broca’s area These mixed results may be due in part to variable deficits in thematic and/or syntactic reanalysis processes across individuals with aphasia. The present study investigated the neural correlates of processing passive and active sentences in English, using a sentence-picture verification task to probe comprehension This task was selected in order to maximize demands on thematic mapping and reanalysis processes by requiring the participant to integrate the linguistic representation with an external representation of the event (the visual scene). If passive sentence computation engages thematic reanalysis, posterior perisylvian activation would be expected
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