Is left fronto-temporal connectivity essential for syntax? Effective connectivity, tractography and performance in left-hemisphere damaged patients

► Patients with LH brain damage and variable syntactic processing abilities. ► Reduced LIFG-LpMTG structural/effective connectivity linked to syntactic deficits. ► Intact effective connectivity between LIFG and LpMTG essential for syntax. ► Intact dorsal/ventral structural fronto-temporal connectivity essential for syntax. ► Reduced structural connectivity associated with reduced effective connectivity.