Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior01:28

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...
Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

Integration of Synaptic Events

Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability to...
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
Parallel Processing01:20

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Lip-reading and eye-gaze discrimination are functionally lateralized across the left and right posterior superior temporal sulci.

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)·2026
Same author

The Neural Processes Underpinning Flexible Semantic Retrieval in Visual and Auditory Modalities.

Human brain mapping·2026
Same author

Sender-receiver subdivisions of the default mode network in perceptual and memory-guided cognition.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Controlled Semantic Cognition: Precision Recordings Converge With in Silico Experiments to Reveal the Inner Workings of the Anterior Temporal Lobe Hub.

Neurobiology of language (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same author

Individual differences in alexithymia modulate cognition-emotion interactions in daily life ongoing experiences.

Communications psychology·2026
Same author

Patterns of ongoing thought in the real world and their links to mental health and well-being.

PLOS mental health·2026
Same journal

Individualized mapping of functional brain networks in older adulthood.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same journal

Is the whole more than the sum of its parts? Considering global and local features of the connectome improves prediction of individuals and phenotypes.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same journal

The language network responds robustly to sentences across tasks.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same journal

Neighborhood disadvantage and brain myelination: Insights from infancy to childhood.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same journal

Meditation and neurofeedback: A systematic scoping review, synthesis, and future directions.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same journal

Interactive shape and color representation in visual working memory for colored objects in the human occipitotemporal cortex.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

Syntactic processing engages the semantic control network.

Qianwen Chang1, Elizabeth Jefferies2, Rebecca L Jackson2

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.

Imaging Neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
|June 25, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Syntactic processing engages the semantic control network (SCN), distinct from semantic representation. This suggests shared neural resources for complex language demands, impacting language comprehension and production.

Keywords:
ALE meta-analysismultiple-demand networksemantic controlsyntactic processing

More Related Videos

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
08:32

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
05:38

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology

Published on: June 29, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
08:32

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
05:38

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology

Published on: June 29, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • The neural basis of language, specifically the separation of syntax and semantics, remains debated.
  • Prior neuroimaging studies have yielded conflicting results, partly due to not differentiating semantic representation from semantic control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural overlap and distinctions between syntactic processing and semantic control.
  • To identify brain regions differentially engaged by varying levels of syntactic and semantic control demands.

Main Methods:

  • An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was performed on neuroimaging data.
  • Regions engaged by demanding versus less demanding syntactic processing were compared with those for semantic processing.

Main Results:

  • Demanding syntactic processing activated regions within the semantic control network (SCN), including the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and insula.
  • No brain regions outside the SCN showed greater activation for syntax than semantic control.
  • Specific parts of the left IFG and posterior temporal cortex showed differential engagement for syntactic versus semantic control, with some areas showing greater activation for syntax.

Conclusions:

  • Syntactic processing is neurally distinct from semantic representation.
  • Demanding syntactic processing recruits parts of the SCN, indicating shared neural mechanisms for flexible language use.
  • Both syntactic and semantic control involve multimodal processing in key language areas like the IFG and posterior temporal cortex.