BACKGROUND During sentence processing we decode the sequential combination of words, phrases or sentences according to previously learned rules. The computational mechanisms and neural correlates of these rules are still much debated. Other key issue is whether sentence processing solely relies on language-specific mechanisms or is it also governed by domain-general principles. METHODOLOGY/PR...

This paper describes a fully implemented, broad-coverage model of human syntactic processing. The model uses probabilistic parsing techniques, which combine phrase structure, lexical category, and limited subcategory probabilities with an incremental, left-to-right "pruning" mechanism based on cascaded Markov models. The parameters of the system are established through a uniform training algori...

In this article, we will focus on three fundamental issues concerning language processing in the human brain, and update recent advances made by functional neuroimaging and magnetic stimulation studies of language. First, we will provide the first experimental evidence that the neural basis of sentence comprehension is indeed specialized. Specifically, our recent functional magnetic resonance i...

Language comprehension is a complex task that involves constructing an incremental interpretation of a rapid sequence of incoming words before they fade from immediate memory, and yet the task is typically carried out effi ciently and with little conscious effort. Given the complexity associated with extracting intended meaning from an incoming linguistic signal, it is perhaps not surprising th...

In studies of language, it is widely accepted that the form of a word is independent of its meaning and syntactic category. Thus, the relationship between phonological form and grammatical class would not be expected to affect reading time. However, Farmer et al. have now shown that the phonological typicality of a noun or verb influences how rapidly it is read. This finding has implications fo...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that is associated with the depletion of dopamine (DA)-containing neurons in specific brain regions. This article reviews one consequence of this defect-sentence comprehension difficulty in nondemented patients with PD. The first section describes the pattern of cognitive deficits seen in patients with PD, focusing specifically on their ...

Mensch: A German word which, in Yiddish, means “a good person”. A mensch is a particularly good person with the qualities one would hope for in a dear friend or trusted colleague; a gentleman. In 2000, Dave Swinney and Roelien Bastiaanse started a joint project on online sentence processing in Dutch and English. This project, entitled “The role of the verb in online auditory sentence processing...