The Neuroscience of Language: On Brain Circuits of Words and Serial Order (Cambridge Companions to Philosophy)

332 Pages·2003·3.86 MB·English

by  Friedemann Pulvermüller

The Neuroscience of Language
On Brain Circuits of Words and Serial Order
Arealisticmodeloflanguageshouldspecifythemechanismsunder-
lyinglanguageuseandcomprehension.Aneurobiologicalapproach
hasbeenshowntobeaneffectivemeanstowardthisend.TheNeu-
roscience of Language provides results of brain activation studies,
patients with brain lesions, and hints from computer simulations of
neuralnetworkstohelpanswerthequestion:Howislanguageorga-
nizedinthehumanbrain?
Atthebook’scoreareneuronalmechanismsthatis,thenervecell
wiringoflanguageinthebrain.Neuronalmodelsofwordandserial-
order processing are presented in the form of a computational and
connectionist neural network. The linguistic emphasis is on words
andelementarysyntacticrules.Thebookintroducesbasicknowledge
from disciplines relevant in the cognitive neuroscience of language.
Introductorychaptersfocusonneuronalstructureandfunction,cog-
nitive brain processes, the basics of classical aphasia research and
modernneuroimagingoflanguage,neuralnetworkapproachestolan-
guage,andthebasicsofsyntactictheories.Theessenceofthework
is contained in chapters on neural algorithms and networks, basic
syntax, serial-order mechanisms, and neuronal grammar. Through-
out,excursusesillustratethefunctioningofbrainmodelsoflanguage,
someofwhicharesimulationsaccessibleasanimationsonthebook’s
accompanyingwebsite.
Thisself-containedtextandreferenceputsforththefirstsystem-
atic model of language at a neuronal level that is attractive to lan-
guagetheoristsbutthatisalsowellgroundedinempiricalresearch.
The Neuroscience of Language bridges the gap between linguistics
andbrainscience,appealingtoadvancedstudentsandresearchersin
neuroscience,linguistics,andcomputationalmodeling.
FriedemannPulvermu¨llerisaseniorscientistattheMedicalResearch
CouncilCognitionandBrainSciencesUnitinCambridge.

The Neuroscience of Language
On Brain Circuits of Words
and Serial Order
FRIEDEMANN PULVERMU¨ LLER
CognitionandBrainSciencesUnit
MedicalResearchCouncil
  
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
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Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
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© Cambridge University Press 2002
This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2003
- 
isbn-13 978-0-511-06708-2 eBook (NetLibrary)
- 
isbn-10 0-511-06708-9 eBook (NetLibrary)
- 
isbn-13 978-0-521-79026-0 hardback
- 
isbn-10 0-521-79026-3 hardback
isbn--13 978-0-521-79374-2 paperback
- 
isbn-10 0-521-79374-2 paperback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of
s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Contents
Preface pagexi
1 AGuidetotheBook 1
1.1 StructureandFunctionoftheBook 1
1.2 PathsThroughtheBook 2
1.3 ChapterOverview 4
1.3.1 Chapter1:AGuidetotheBook 4
1.3.2 Chapter2:NeuronalStructureandFunction 4
1.3.3 Chapter3:FromAphasiaResearchto
Neuroimaging 4
1.3.4 Chapter4:WordsintheBrain 4
1.3.5 ExcursusE1:ExplainingNeuropsychological
DoubleDissociations 5
1.3.6 Chapter5:Regulation,Overlap,andWebTails 5
1.3.7 Chapter6:NeuralAlgorithmsandNeural
Networks 5
1.3.8 Chapter7:BasicSyntax 5
1.3.9 Chapter8:SynfireChainsastheBasisofSerial
OrderintheBrain 6
1.3.10 Chapter9:SequenceDetectors 6
1.3.11 Chapter10:NeuronalGrammar 6
1.3.12 Chapter11:NeuronalGrammarand
Algorithms 6
1.3.13 ExcursusE2:BasicBitsofNeuronalGrammar 7
1.3.14 ExcursusE3:AWebResponsetoaSentence 7
1.3.15 Chapter12:RefiningNeuronalGrammar 7
1.3.16 ExcursusE4:MultipleReverberationfor
ResolvingLexicalAmbiguity 7
1.3.17 ExcursusE5:MultipleReverberationsand
MultipleCenterEmbeddings 7
v
vi Contents
1.3.18 Chapter13:NeurophysiologyofSyntax 8
1.3.19 Chapter14:LinguisticsandtheBrain 8
2 NeuronalStructureandFunction 9
2.1 NeuronalStructure 10
2.1.1 AnatomyofaNerveCell 10
2.1.2 BasicsoftheCortex 13
2.1.3 InternalWiringoftheCortex 16
2.2 NeuronalFunctionandLearning 18
2.3 PrinciplesandImplications 20
2.4 FunctionalWebsintheCortex 22
2.4.1 WhyNumerousNeuronsShouldCooperate 22
2.4.2 TheNeedforConnectingNeuronsinDistant
CorticalAreas 23
2.5 DefiningFunctionalWebs 24
2.6 EvidenceforFunctionalWebs 26
2.7 AViewofCorticalFunction 28
2.8 TemporalDynamicsinFunctionalWebs:Ignition
andReverberation 29
3 FromClassicAphasiaResearchtoModern
Neuroimaging 33
3.1 Aphasiology 33
3.2 LateralityofLanguage 39
3.3 NeuroimagingofLanguage 44
3.4 Summary 48
4 WordsintheBrain 50
4.1 Word-FormWebs 50
4.2 Category-SpecificWordWebs 56
4.2.1 VisuallyRelatedandActionWords 56
4.2.2 Sub-typesofActionWords 62
4.3 TheTimeCourseofLexicalandSemanticActivation 62
4.4 SummaryandConclusions 64
ExcursusE1:ExplainingNeuropsychologicalDouble
Dissociations 66
E1.1 FunctionalChangesinaLesionedNetwork:The
NonlinearDeteriorationofPerformancewith
GrowingLesionSize 67
E1.2 Broca’svs.Wernicke’sAphasias 69
Contents vii
5 Regulation,Overlap,andWebTails 74
5.1 RegulationofCorticalActivity 75
5.1.1 TheOveractivationProbleminAutoassociative
Memories 75
5.1.2 Coincidencevs.Correlation 76
5.1.3 SparseCoding 76
5.1.4 ACyberneticModelofFeedbackRegulation
ofCorticalActivity 78
5.1.5 StriatalRegulationofCorticalActivity 80
5.1.6 Summary 81
5.2 OverlappingRepresentations 82
5.2.1 HomophonesandForm-RelatedWords 83
5.2.2 Synonyms 87
5.2.3 PrototypesandFamilyResemblance 88
5.3 WebTails 91
5.3.1 AffectiveandEmotionalMeaning 91
5.3.2 LinkingPhonological,Orthographical,and
Meaning-RelatedInformation 91
5.4 Summary 95
6 NeuralAlgorithmsandNeuralNetworks 96
6.1 McCullochandPitts’sLogicalCalculusasa
StartingPoint 97
6.2 SymbolicConnectionistModelsofLanguage 107
6.3 DistributedConnectionistModelsofLanguage 112
6.4 HotTopicsinNeuralNetworkResearchonLanguage 115
6.4.1 WordCategoryDeficits 115
6.4.2 TheDevelopmentofRulesintheBrain 119
7 BasicSyntax 124
7.1 RewritingRules 125
7.2 CenterEmbedding 128
7.3 DiscontinuousConstituentsandDistributedWords 134
7.4 Defining Word Categories in Terms of Complements:
DependencySyntax 139
7.5 SyntacticTrees 141
7.6 QuestionsforaNeuronalGrammar 144
8 SynfireChainsastheBasisofSerialOrderintheBrain 147
8.1 NeurophysiologicalEvidenceandNeuronalModels 147
8.2 APutativeBasisofPhonologicalProcessing 151
8.3 CanSynfireChainsRealizeGrammar? 154
8.4 FunctionalWebsComposedofSynfireChains 156
8.5 Summary 158
viii Contents
9 SequenceDetectors 159
9.1 MovementDetection 159
9.2 SequenceDetectorsforWordStrings 161
9.3 SequenceDetectorsandSyntacticStructure 163
10 NeuronalGrammar 168
10.1 TheStorySoFar 169
10.2 NeuronalSets 169
10.3 ThresholdControl 175
10.4 SequenceDetectioninNetworksofNeuronalSets 177
10.5 ActivityDynamicsofSequenceDetection 181
10.6 LexicalCategoriesRepresentedinNeuronalSets 186
10.6.1 WhyLexicalCategories? 186
10.6.2 LexicalAmbiguity 187
10.6.3 LexicalCategoriesasSetsofSequenceSets 190
10.6.4 NeuronalRequirementsofaGrammarMachine 192
10.6.5 LexicalDisambiguationbySequenceSets 194
10.7 Summary:PrinciplesofNeuronalGrammar 200
11 NeuronalGrammarandAlgorithms 207
11.1 RegularAssociations,AssociativeRules 207
11.2 AFormalismforGrammarNetworks 209
11.3 SomeDifferencesBetweenAbstractand
NeuronalGrammar 211
11.4 Summary 214
ExcursusE2:BasicBitsofNeuronalGrammar 215
E2.1 Examples,Algorithms,andNetworks 215
E2.2 GrammarCircuitsatWork 217
E2.2.1 Simulation1:AcceptanceofaCongruentString 219
E2.2.2 Simulation2:ProcessingofanIncongruentString 220
E2.2.3 Simulation3:Processing of a Partly Congruent
String 222
ExcursusE3:AWebResponsetoaSentence 224
E3.1 TheGrammarAlgorithmandNetwork 225
E3.2 SentenceProcessinginSyntacticCircuits 227
E3.2.1 GlobalCharacteristics 228
E3.2.2 SpecificFeatures 231
E3.3 DiscussionoftheImplementationandSimulation 232
12 RefiningNeuronalGrammar 235
12.1 ComplementsandAdjuncts 236
12.2 MultipleActivityStatesofaNeuronalSet 238
12.2.1 TheConceptofMultipleReverberation 239
Contents ix
12.2.2 SomeRevisedPrinciplesofNeuronalGrammar 241
12.3 MultipleCenterEmbedding 245
12.4 Summary,OpenQuestions,andOutlook 247
ExcursusE4:MultipleReverberationforResolving
LexicalAmbiguity 250
ExcursusE5:MultipleReverberationsandMultiple
CenterEmbeddings 255
13 NeurophysiologyofSyntax 265
13.1 MakingPredictions 265
13.2 NeuronalGrammarandSyntax-Related
BrainPotentials 266
14 LinguisticsandtheBrain 270
14.1 WhyAreLinguisticTheoriesAbstract? 270
14.2 HowMayLinguisticTheoryProfitfroma
BrainBasis? 272
References 277
Abbreviations 297
AuthorIndex 301
SubjectIndex 307