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Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
Published on: September 5, 2019
Syntactic complexity representation in sentence production reveals a fronto-temporal syntactic network
Keyi Kang1, Mingchuan Yang2, Yimin Cai3
1Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China; Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.
This study reveals the brain networks involved in producing complex sentences. Researchers identified a fronto-temporal network, including the left inferior frontal gyrus, crucial for syntactic structure building during language production.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Syntactic complexity is key to human language.
- Neural basis of syntactic processing during sentence production remains unclear.
- Previous research focused on comprehension, not production.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate neural substrates of syntactic processing during sentence production.
- Establish a hierarchy of syntactic complexity for controlled study.
- Identify brain networks managing increasing syntactic demands.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 30 healthy adults.
- Picture-description task with controlled syntactic complexity levels.
- Analysis of brain activation, peak intensity, and effective connectivity.
Main Results:
- Higher syntactic complexity led to increased processing difficulty (lower accuracy, longer reaction time).
- A fronto-temporal syntactic network (left IFG, MFG, PostTemp) was identified.
- Left MFG showed adaptability to syntactic difficulty during production.
Conclusions:
- Specified a fronto-temporal network for sentence production.
- Demonstrated the role of specific brain regions in syntactic structure building.
- Provided insights into the neural underpinnings of complex human language faculty.
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