A more sound approach to the neurobiology of language

大脑是如何获得口语的？目前的神经生物学模型或隐或显地假设一个词的声音和它的意义之间没有关系。然而，大量的证据表明，这种关于语言任意性的强烈假设是无效的。这个项目将使用行为，神经成像和计算研究的组合，以揭示大脑如何处理声音到意义对应的统计信息，作为获得口语的概率线索。结果将是一个更好的语言理解和生产的神经帐户。这个新的帐户的好处将是一个更强大的基础，评估和治疗的发展和后天语言障碍。

How does the brain attain spoken language? Current neurobiological models assume either implicitly or explicitly that there is no relationship between a word's sound and its meaning. Yet considerable evidence shows this strong assumption about the arbitrariness of language is invalid. This project will use a combination of behavioural, neuroimaging and computational studies to characterise how the brain processes statistical regularities in sound-to-meaning correspondences as probabilistic cues to attain spoken language. The outcome will be a better neural account of language comprehension and production. The benefit of this new account will be a stronger basis for assessment and treatment of developmental and acquired language impairments.