Neuroimaging and neurophysiology of syntactic learning (360G-Wellcome-092606_Z_10_Z)

This project aims to address the questions: What aspects of the syntax of auditory or visual sequences can animal models learn? Which brain regions support animal model syntactic learning and how is the putative network interconnected? How do neurons evaluate the structure of the sequences, and how do the fMRI and neuronal responses relate? We will address these questions, as follows: First, animal models will be exposed to training sequences exemplifying an arbitrary grammatical rule, foll owed by evaluating their natural-response preferential-looking behaviour to grammatical and ungrammatical sequences. Second, animal models will be used to reveal the brain regions sensitive to grammatical violations, including how the fMRI-identified regions are interconnected (based on white-matter tractography and combined microstimulation and fMRI, which we have used recently to reveal effective connectivity in vivo). Third, we will record from neurons in two of the fMRI-identified brain reg ions to reveal how neurons from these regions support syntactic learning.