Encoding and Storage in Working Memory during Sentence Comprehension

In this article, we will discuss evidence from a number of recent neuroimaging experiments. These experiments suggest that three areas play a role in sentence comprehension: the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG), the left posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG), & the anterior temporal lobe (ATL). The left posterior STG appears to be important for sentential processing, since activation in this area increases as a function of the structural complexity of the sentences which must be comprehended. The LIFG, on the other hand, is activated by storage of lexical information as well as by sentential complexity. It is possible to explain a range of experimental results by hypothesizing that this area is responsible for storage of both lexical & phrasal information during comprehension. The ATL does not respond to structural complexity during sentence comprehension, but it is consistently more activated during comprehension of sentences than of word lists. On the basis of evidence which shows that the ATL is important for encoding in short-term verbal memory tasks, we suggest that it is responsible for encoding of information about words for use later in comprehension. 3 Tables, 7 Figures, 36 References. Adapted from the source document