ERIC Number: EJ724333
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Jan
Pages: 16
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0093-934X
EISSN: N/A
EEG Theta and Gamma Responses to Semantic Violations in Online Sentence Processing
Hald, Lea A.; Bastiaansen, Marcel C. M.; Hagoort, Peter
Brain and Language, v96 n1 p90-105 Jan 2006
We explore the nature of the oscillatory dynamics in the EEG of subjects reading sentences that contain a semantic violation. More specifically, we examine whether increases in theta ([Approximately]3-7 Hz) and gamma (around 40 Hz) band power occur in response to sentences that were either semantically correct or contained a semantically incongruent word (semantic violation). ERP results indicated a classical N400 effect. A wavelet-based time-frequency analysis revealed a theta band power increase during an interval of 300-800 ms after critical word onset, at temporal electrodes bilaterally for both sentence conditions, and over midfrontal areas for the semantic violations only. In the gamma frequency band, a predominantly frontal power increase was observed during the processing of correct sentences. This effect was absent following semantic violations. These results provide a characterization of the oscillatory brain dynamics, and notably of both theta and gamma oscillations, that occur during language comprehension.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A