Event-related causality in Stereo-EEG discriminates syntactic processing of noun phrases and verb phrases

Abstract

Syntax involves complex neurobiological mechanisms, which are difficult to disentangle for multiple reasons. Using a protocol able to separate syntactic information from sound information we investigated the neural causal connections evoked by the processing of homophonous phrases, either verb phrases (VP) or noun phrases (NP). We used event-related causality (ERC) from stereo-electroencephalographic (SEEG) recordings in 10 epileptic patients in multiple cortical areas, including language areas and their homologous in the non-dominant hemisphere. We identified the different networks involved in the processing of these syntactic operations (faster in the dominant hemisphere) showing that VPs engage a wider cortical network. We also present a proof-of-concept for the decoding of the syntactic category of a perceived phrase based on causality measures. Our findings help unravel the neural correlates of syntactic elaboration and show how a decoding based on multiple cortical areas could contribute to the development of speech prostheses for speech impairment mitigation.