Architects of the Mind: Neural Pathway Activation Across Different Conlang Grammars and the Design of Therapeutic Conlangs for Cognitive Deficits
by Adith Raj (USA)
Language Selection Framework
Conlang A : Analytic/Isolating
Similar to Mandarin or Toki Pona.
Uses strict word order.
Uses separate particles instead of changing word endings.
Grammatical information is mostly expressed through individual words and sentence structure.
Conlang B : Agglutinative/Polysynthetic
Similar in some ways to languages such as Inuktitut or other highly synthetic languages.
Combines multiple pieces of grammatical information into one word.
A single word could contain information about tense, aspect, mood, subject, or object.
This creates a much higher morphological complexity than Conlang A.
Scenario A: Conlang for Broca's Aphasia
Broca's aphasia is associated with damage to the left inferior frontal gyrus and can cause difficulty with speech production and grammatical or syntactic processing. Comprehension can remain relatively strong in some individuals.
Research Goal
Investigate whether a language could reduce the amount of syntactic processing required for communication by relying more heavily on other forms of information processing.
Possible Design Features
Reduced Syntax: A language based mostly on individual lexical concepts instead of complicated sentence structures.
Melodic or Tonal Features: A language that uses pitch, rhythm, or melody as an important part of communication. This could be compared with research on Melodic Intonation Therapy.
Visual-Spatial Grammar: A system influenced by sign languages in which spatial position and movement contribute to meaning.
Literature Review: Review fMRI research on natural and constructed languages and research on speech-therapy approaches such as Melodic Intonation Therapy.
Scenario B: Conlang for Anterograde Amnesia
Anterograde amnesia can interfere with the formation of new long-term declarative memories. The hippocampus plays an important role in this type of memory formation.
Research Goal
Investigate whether language learning could rely more heavily on procedural learning and repeated patterns instead of memorizing large amounts of arbitrary vocabulary.
Possible Design Features
Systematic Root Generation: Instead of completely arbitrary words, vocabulary could follow consistent patterns. For example, sounds or syllables could be associated with certain categories of physical properties.
Motor-Kinesthetic Learning: Sounds or words could be paired with repeated movements or gestures, potentially allowing vocabulary to be reinforced through procedural learning.
Pattern-Based Vocabulary: Words could be generated from predictable rules instead of requiring each word to be memorized individually.
Methodology : Hypothetical Experiment
A possible experiment could compare participants learning Conlang A and Conlang B while using fMRI to examine differences in brain activation.
The study could examine:
Which brain regions become active during grammatical processing.
Whether analytic and highly morphological languages produce different activation patterns.
The amount of working memory required by each language.
Whether participants become more efficient at processing the language after extended practice.
Therapeutic Conlang Design Framework
The project could then use the findings from the literature review and hypothetical experiment to create structural designs for languages intended to reduce specific communication or memory demands.
Possible designs could focus on:
Aphasia
Anterograde amnesia
Semantic memory deficits
Visual object recognition disorders
Discussion
Important limitations would include the difficulty of learning an entirely new language compared with using an existing language, differences between individuals with neurological conditions, and the fact that brain regions do not work completely independently.
Another important question is whether changing the structure of a language would actually make communication easier for someone with a neurological disorder, or whether learning a new language would create an additional cognitive burden.
The project could also discuss possible future applications of language design, neuroscience, and AI-assisted speech therapy.
Constructed Languages and the Brain
Recent neuroimaging research suggests that fluent speakers of constructed languages such as Esperanto and Klingon can use many of the same left-hemisphere language networks involved in natural language processing. This suggests that constructed languages are processed as actual languages rather than simply as logic or mathematical systems.
This raises an important research question:
If different constructed languages place different demands on grammar, memory, and word formation, could certain language structures be easier to process when specific brain systems are impaired?
For example, in non-fluent aphasia, where sentence production and grammatical processing can be difficult, could a language with simplified or non-linear grammar reduce some of the processing demands involved in sentence construction?
Grammatical Feature Possible Brain Region Involved Possible Conlang Difference
Syntactic sequencing Left interior frontal gyrus (BA 44/45) Conlang A may place greater
demands on sequential word-
order processing
Morphological decomposition Left middle temporal gyrus and related Conlang B may require more
language networks analysis of prefixes, suffixes, and
roots.
Working memory Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Conlang B could create a greater
working-memory demand when
processing complex words.
These predictions would need to be tested rather than assumed, since brain activity is distributed across networks rather than isolated to one region for each linguistic function.
Possible Condition 1: Semantic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia (svPPA)
Neurobiology
svPPA is associated with atrophy in the anterior temporal lobes and causes progressive difficulty with understanding word meanings and concepts. A person may still speak fluently and produce grammatically correct sentences while having difficulty identifying or understanding the meaning of specific words.
Possible Conlang Design
Instead of depending heavily on fixed vocabulary words, a language could use descriptive combinations based on sensory characteristics, actions, or relationships.
For example, instead of having one fixed word for "dog," a language could construct a description based on characteristics such as:
four-legged
furry
makes a barking sound
interacts with people
Another possibility would be an agglutinative system where concepts are constructed from smaller sensory or functional roots.
Research Question
Could a language based more heavily on descriptions and sensory characteristics reduce dependence on stored abstract word meanings?
Possible Condition 2: Broca's Aphasia
Neurobiology
Damage involving Broca's area and surrounding language networks can cause difficulties with speech production and grammatical processing. Some individuals may know what they want to communicate but have difficulty producing grammatically complex sentences.
Possible Conlang Design
A language could minimize traditional word-order rules and complex syntax.
Possible features include:
Free word order
Semantic particles
Independent grammatical markers
Minimal verb conjugation
Non-linear or spatial organization of information
One possibility would be organizing information through a grid or spatial system rather than requiring everything to appear in one linear sentence.
Research Question
Could communication remain understandable with much less dependence on traditional linear syntax?
Possible Condition 3: Alzheimer's Disease and Semantic Memory Deficits
Neurobiology
Alzheimer's disease can affect memory and language networks, including systems involved in retrieving words, names, and categories. The effects vary considerably depending on the stage and individual.
Possible Conlang Design
One possibility would be an oligosynthetic language, using a small number of basic roots that can be combined to create more complex concepts.
Another possibility would be a language that uses strong tonal, rhythmic, or musical features so that some information is carried through pitch and rhythm rather than through large amounts of vocabulary.
Research Question
Could reducing the number of arbitrary vocabulary items make communication easier when word retrieval and memory are impaired?
Possible Condition 4: Apperceptive Agnosia
Neurobiology
Apperceptive agnosia involves difficulty recognizing objects visually despite relatively preserved basic vision. Other sensory information, such as touch or sound, may provide useful information for identifying an object.
Possible Conlang Design
A language could classify objects based on how they are interacted with rather than primarily on how they look.
For example, instead of treating "chair" as only a noun referring to a visual object, the language could connect the concept to the action of sitting.
Other objects could similarly be categorized through:
What they are used for
How they feel
What sounds they make
How the body interacts with them
Research Question
Could language based on functional and sensory information provide an alternative way of representing objects when visual recognition is impaired?
