The crucial role of the left inferior frontal gyrus (BA44) in synergizing syntactic structure and information structure during sentence comprehension.

This study examines the neural mechanisms behind integrating syntactic and information structures during sentence comprehension using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Focusing on Japanese sentences with canonical (SOV) and non-canonical (OSV) word orders, the study revealed distinct neural networks responsible for processing these linguistic structures. The left opercular part of the inferior frontal gyrus, left premotor area, and left posterior superior/middle temporal gyrus were primarily involved in syntactic processing.