Language depends critically on integrating lexical information across multiple words to derive semantic concepts. Limitations of spatiotemporal resolution have hindered isolating processes involved in semantic integration. Intracranial recordings in epilepsy patients (n = 58) reading written word definitions revealed that semantically referential sentences activated the inferior frontal sulcus (IFS), medial parietal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and medial temporal lobe. IFS, OFC, and posterior middle temporal gyrus activity was modulated by the semantic coherence of non-referential sentences. These results indicate complementary cortical mosaics for semantic integration.

Elliot Murphy, Kiefer J. Forseth, Cristian Donos, Kathryn M. Snyder, Patrick S. Rollo, Nitin Tandon