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From Sensorimotor Sequence to Grammatical Construction: Evidence from Simulation and Neurophysiology

Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS, France

The current research describes a functional trajectory from sensorimotor sequence learning to the learning of grammatical constructions in language. A brief review of the functional neurophysiology of the cortex and basal ganglia will be provided as background for a neural network model of this system in sensorimotor sequence learning. Sequential behavior is then defined in terms of serial, temporal and abstract structure. The resulting neuro-computational framework is demonstrated to account for observed sequence learning behavior. More interestingly, this framework naturally extends to grammatical constructions as form-to-meaning mappings. Predictions from the neuro-computational model concerning parallels in language and cognitive sequence processing are tested against behavioral and neurophysiological observations in humans, resulting in a refinement of the allocation of model functions to subdivisions of Broca's area. From a functional perspective this analysis will provide insight into the relation between the coding structure in human languages, and constraints derived from the underlying neurophysiological computational mechanisms.

Key Words: language • neural network • simulation • sensorimotor sequence

Adaptive Behavior, Vol. 13, No. 4, 347-361 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/105971230501300401


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