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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Neuropharmacology of language: ERP evidence for catecholaminergic modulation of syntactic processing

  • Yingying Tan1,2
  • Ashley G. Lewis2,3,4
  • Iris C. Schmits2
  • Robert-Jan Verkes5
  • Roshan Cools4,5
  • Peter Hagoort2,4
5 affiliations
  1. 1Shanghai International Studies University, Institute of Language Sciences, Shanghai 201620, China
  2. 2Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Neurobiology of Language Department, Nijmegen 6525 XD, the Netherlands
  3. 3City University of Hong Kong, Department of Linguistics and Translation, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
  4. 4Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Nijmegen 6525 EN, the Netherlands
  5. 5Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen 6525 GA, the Netherlands
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Abstract

A few studies have shown that brain catecholamines are implicated in language comprehension. However, the specific cognitive processes they modulate remain underexplored. We hypothesized that catecholamines enhance the unification of syntactic roles and word meanings into coherent multiword structures. This study combined electroencephalography and psychopharmacology to examine the effects of a catecholaminergic stimulant (methylphenidate) on processing sentences containing local syntactic ambiguities. Methylphenidate amplified the P600 event-related potential effect, which has been linked to the recruitment of cognitive resources for processing sentences with increased syntactic load. The drug’s impact on semantic processing was subtler, showing a suggestive attenuation of the N400 effect to ambiguous sentences. Furthermore, the increase in the P600 effect under methylphenidate was most pronounced in participants with lower working memory capacity. This study provides evidence for linking catecholamine activity to syntactic unification in healthy individuals. Elevated catecholamine levels appear to increase the cognitive effort invested in syntactic unification, and to support the dynamic prioritization of syntactic information when contextual demands require it.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{tan2026neuropharmacology,
  title = {{Neuropharmacology of language: ERP evidence for catecholaminergic modulation of syntactic processing}},
  author = {Yingying Tan and Ashley G. Lewis and Iris C. Schmits and Robert-Jan Verkes and Roshan Cools and Peter Hagoort},
  journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1073/pnas.2606806123},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2606806123},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Neuropharmacology of language: ERP evidence for catecholaminergic modulation of syntactic processing
AU  - Yingying Tan
AU  - Ashley G. Lewis
AU  - Iris C. Schmits
AU  - Robert-Jan Verkes
AU  - Roshan Cools
AU  - Peter Hagoort
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/22
JO  - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
DO  - 10.1073/pnas.2606806123
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2606806123
AB  - A few studies have shown that brain catecholamines are implicated in language comprehension. However, the specific cognitive processes they modulate remain underexplored. We hypothesized that catecholamines enhance the unification of syntactic roles and word meanings into coherent multiword structures. This study combined electroencephalography and psychopharmacology to examine the effects of a catecholaminergic stimulant (methylphenidate) on processing sentences containing local syntactic ambiguities. Methylphenidate amplified the P600 event-related potential effect, which has been linked to the recruitment of cognitive resources for processing sentences with increased syntactic load. The drug’s impact on semantic processing was subtler, showing a suggestive attenuation of the N400 effect to ambiguous sentences. Furthermore, the increase in the P600 effect under methylphenidate was most pronounced in participants with lower working memory capacity. This study provides evidence for linking catecholamine activity to syntactic unification in healthy individuals. Elevated catecholamine levels appear to increase the cognitive effort invested in syntactic unification, and to support the dynamic prioritization of syntactic information when contextual demands require it.
SN  - 0027-8424
SN  - 1091-6490
ER  -