- The type of semantic relations knowledge can be categorized as taxonomic relations, in which concepts are linked through the shared features (e.g., dog - cat), and thematic relations, in which concepts are connected through related events/scenarios (e.g., dog - leash). Existing studies have posited that the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) is functionally specialized for taxonomic relations and the inferior parietal lobe (IPL) for thematic relations, known as the dual-hub model.
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A recent sEEG study that supports the dual-hub hypothesis found more ATL engagement in retrieving taxonomic knowledge and more IPL engagement in retrieving thematic knowledge, with greater neural engagement indicated by reduced spectral power in the alpha (8-12Hz) and theta (4-7Hz) band, in an early and transient time window after stimulus onset.
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The present project aims to use intracranial EEG provide a further neural indication for dual-hub theory by analyzing the within-region phase synchronization of in ATL, IPL, and two subregions of the semantic control network including inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG), as well as cross-region phase synchronization between the semantic hubs and semantic control regions.