Incremental Language Comprehension Difficulty Predicts Activity in the Language Network but Not the Multiple Demand Network

What role do domain-general executive functions play in human language comprehension? To address this question, we examine the relationship between behavioral measures of comprehension and neural activity in the domain-general multiple demand (MD) network, which has been linked to constructs like attention, working memory, inhibitory control, and selection, and implicated in diverse goal-directed behaviors. Specifically, functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected during naturalistic story listening are compared with theory-neutral measures of online comprehension difficulty and incremental processing load (reading times and eye-fixation durations). Critically, to ensure that variance in these measures is driven by features of the linguistic stimulus rather than reflecting participant- or trial-level variability, the neuroimaging and behavioral datasets were collected in nonoverlapping samples. We find no behavioral-neural link in functionally localized MD regions; instead, this link is found in the domain-specific, fronto-temporal core language network, in both left-hemispheric areas and their right hemispheric homotopic areas. These results argue against strong involvement of domain-general executive circuits in language comprehension.

Automated summary

This study examines the role of domain-general executive functions in human language comprehension by comparing neural activity in the multiple demand (MD) network with behavioral measures of comprehension during naturalistic story listening. The results show no significant link between behavioral measures and functionally localized MD regions, suggesting limited involvement of domain-general executive circuits in language comprehension.