28. May 2017

Vitória Magalhães Piai, PhD

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Language comprehension and production rely on memory and control processes. In addition, the motor system is recruited for language production. Memory, motor, and control processes are well-studied outside of the language domain. I will argue that oscillations may constitute the best measure to understand language in relation to these other domains. In particular, I will discuss alpha-beta oscillations in the lateral cortex with respect to memory and motor aspects of word production. Additionally, I will show how hippocampal theta oscillations, which are tightly related to episodic memory, track the amount of semantic associations in sentence contexts. I will also show how resolving competition between words in language production is associated with theta oscillations in the medial frontal cortex, a signature of executive function. Finally, I will discuss what these neuronal signatures can reveal about language lateralisation and neuroplasticity in patient populations.