Lexical Processing as Revealed by Lateralized Event-Related Brain Potentials

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Koppehele-Gossel ◽  
Robert Schnuerch ◽  
Henning Gibbons
Keyword(s):  
Word Processing ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Time Range ◽  
Processing Negativity ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Single Word Reading

Abstract. Neurocognitive models of written-word processing from low-level perceptual up to semantic analysis include the notion of a strongly left-lateralized posterior-to-anterior stream of activation. Two left-lateralized components in the event-related brain potential (ERP), N170 and temporo-parietal PSA (posterior semantic asymmetry; peak at 300 ms), have been suggested to reflect sublexical analysis and semantic processing, respectively. However, for intermediate processing steps, such as lexical access, no posterior left-lateralized ERP signature has yet been observed under single-word reading conditions. In combination with a recognition task, lexicality and depth of processing were varied. Left-minus-right difference ERPs optimally suited to accentuate left-lateralized language processes revealed an occipito-temporal processing negativity (210–270 ms) for all stimuli except alphanumerical strings. This asymmetry showed greater sensitivity to the combined effects of attention and lexicality than other ERPs in this time range (i.e., N170, P1, and P2). It is therefore introduced as “lexical asymmetry.”

scholarly journals Brain Activation During Reading in Deep Dyslexia: An MEG Study

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 622-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Laine ◽  
Riitta Salmelin ◽  
Päivi Helenius ◽  
Reijo Marttila
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Lexical Semantic ◽  
Deep Dyslexia ◽  
Single Word Reading

Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) changes in cortical activity were studied in a chronic Finnish-speaking deep dyslexic patient during single-word and sentence reading. It has been hypothesized that in deep dyslexia, written word recognition and its lexical-semantic analysis are subserved by the intact right hemisphere. However, in our patient, as well as in most nonimpaired readers, lexical-semantic processing as measured by sentence-final semantic-incongruency detection was related to the left superior-temporal cortex activation. Activations around this same cortical area could be identified in single-word reading as well. Another factor relevant to deep dyslexic reading, the morphological complexity of the presented words, was also studied. The effect of morphology was observed only during the preparation for oral output. By performing repeated recordings 1 year apart, we were able to document significant variability in both the spontaneous activity and the evoked responses in the lesioned left hemisphere even though at the behavioural level, the patient's performance was stable. The observed variability emphasizes the importance of estimating consistency of brain activity both within and between measurements in brain-damaged individuals.

scholarly journals Rapid acquisition of novel written word-forms: ERP evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Bermúdez-Margaretto ◽  
Yury Shtyrov ◽  
David Beltrán ◽  
Fernando Cuetos ◽  
Alberto Domínguez
Keyword(s):  
Word Processing ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Random Permutation ◽  
Rapid Acquisition ◽  
Memory Traces ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
Written Word

Abstract Background Novel word acquisition is generally believed to be a rapid process, essential for ensuring a flexible and efficient communication system; at least in spoken language, learners are able to construct memory traces for new linguistic stimuli after just a few exposures. However, such rapid word learning has not been systematically found in visual domain, with different confounding factors obscuring the orthographic learning of novel words. This study explored the changes in human brain activity occurring online, during a brief training with novel written word-forms using a silent reading task Results Single-trial, cluster-based random permutation analysis revealed that training caused an extremely fast (after just one repetition) and stable facilitation in novel word processing, reflected in the modulation of P200 and N400 components, possibly indicating rapid dynamics at early and late stages of the lexical processing. Furthermore, neural source estimation of these effects revealed the recruitment of brain areas involved in orthographic and lexico-semantic processing, respectively. Conclusions These results suggest the formation of neural memory traces for novel written word-forms after a minimal exposure to them even in the absence of a semantic reference, resembling the rapid learning processes known to occur in spoken language.

scholarly journals Task-Dependent Modulation of Regions in the Left Inferior Frontal Cortex during Semantic Processing

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 829-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Roskies ◽  
J. A. Fiez ◽  
D. A. Balota ◽  
M. E. Raichle ◽  
S. E. Petersen
Keyword(s):  
Frontal Cortex ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Inferior Frontal Cortex ◽  
Semantic Judgment ◽  
The Right

To distinguish areas involved in the processing of word meaning (semantics) from other regions involved in lexical processing more generally, subjects were scanned with positron emission tomography (PET) while performing lexical tasks, three of which required varying degrees of semantic analysis and one that required phonological analysis. Three closely apposed regions in the left inferior frontal cortex and one in the right cerebellum were significantly active above baseline in the semantic tasks, but not in the nonsemantic task. The activity in two of the frontal regions was modulated by the difficulty of the semantic judgment. Other regions, including some in the left temporal cortex and the cerebellum, were active across all four language tasks. Thus, in addition to a number of regions known to be active during language processing, regions in the left inferior frontal cortex were specifically recruited during semantic processing in a task-dependent manner. A region in the right cerebellum may be functionally related to those in the left inferior frontal cortex. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for current views regarding neural substrates of semantic processing.

Patterns of Language Impairment in Early ALS

2020 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000001006
Author(s):  
Marta Pinto-Grau ◽  
Bronagh Donohoe ◽  
Sarah O’Connor ◽  
Lisa Murphy ◽  
Emmet Costello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Word Naming ◽  
Word Spelling

ABSTRACTObjective.To investigate the incidence and nature of language change and its relationship to executive dysfunction in a population-based incident ALS sample, with the hypothesis that patterns of frontotemporal involvement in early ALS extend beyond areas of executive control to regions associated with language processing.Methods.One hundred and seventeen population-based incident ALS cases without dementia and 100 controls matched by age, sex and education were included in the study. A detailed assessment of language processing including lexical processing, word spelling, word reading, word naming, semantic processing and syntactic/grammatical processing was undertaken. Executive domains of phonemic verbal fluency, working memory, problem-solving, cognitive flexibility and social cognition were also evaluated.Results.Language processing was impaired in this incident cohort of individuals with ALS, with deficits in the domains of word naming, orthographic processing and syntactic/grammatical processing. Conversely, phonological lexical processing and semantic processing were spared. While executive dysfunction accounted in part for impairments in grammatical and orthographic lexical processing, word spelling, reading and naming, primary language deficits were also present.Conclusions.Language impairment is characteristic of ALS at early stages of the disease, and can develop independently of executive dysfunction, reflecting selective patterns of frontotemporal involvement at disease onset. Language change is therefore an important component of the frontotemporal syndrome associated with ALS.

Semantic Repetition Priming for Verbal and Pictorial Knowledge: A Functional MRI Study of Left Inferior Prefrontal Cortex

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 714-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Wagner ◽  
John E. Desmond ◽  
Jonathan B. Demb ◽  
Gary H. Glover ◽  
John D. E. Gabrieli
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Repetition Priming ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Mri Study

Functional neuroimaging studies of single-word processing have demonstrated decreased activation in left inferior prefrontal cortex (LIPC) during repeated semantic processing relative to initial semantic processing. This item-specific memory effect occurs under implicit test instructions and represents word-toword semantic repetition priming. The present study examined the stimulus generality of LIPC function by measuring prefrontal cortical activation during repeated relative to initial semantic processing of words (word-to-word semantic repetition priming) and of pictures (picture-to-picture semantic repetition priming). For both words and pictures, LIPC activation decreased with repetition, suggesting that this area subserves semantic analysis of stimuli regardless of perceptual form. Decreased activation was greater in extent for words than for pictures. The LIPC area may act as a semantic executive system that mediates on-line retrieval of long-term conceptual knowledge necessary for guiding task performance.

scholarly journals Reading sentences in Serbian: Effects of alphabet and reading mode in self-paced reading task

Psihologija ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-376
Author(s):  
Dusan Vejnovic ◽  
Tamara Jovanovic
Keyword(s):  
Word Processing ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
Reading Aloud ◽  
Silent Reading ◽  
Single Word ◽  
Reading Task ◽  
Sentence Reading ◽  
Entire Sentence ◽  
Single Word Reading

The study examined the influence of alphabet (Cyrillic vs. Latin) and reading mode (silent reading vs. reading aloud) on sentence reading speed in Serbian. Entire-sentence and single-word reading times were obtained from the moving window paradigm in the self-paced sentence reading task. Sentences printed in Latin took less time for reading than sentences printed in Cyrillic and silent reading was more rapid than reading aloud. Single-word processing results followed the pattern observed in entire-sentence analysis. Faster reading of Latin sentences and words is likely a consequence of subjects? predominant exposure to this alphabet. Reading aloud was slower than silent reading due to the articulation process, which is present in the former but not in the latter. The effect of the alphabet did not depend on reading mode, suggesting that the two modes of reading involve essentially same cognitive processes. Aloud reading procedures do not seem inappropriate for the research of bialphabetism.

scholarly journals Semantic Diversity, Frequency and the Development of Lexical Quality in Children’s Word Reading

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaling Hsiao ◽  
Kate Nation
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Reading Aloud ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Low Diversity ◽  
Contextual Variability ◽  
Lexical Quality

Frequency exerts a powerful influence on lexical processing but it is possible that at least part of its effect is caused by high frequency words being experienced in more diverse contexts over an individual’s language experience. To capture this variability, we applied Latent Semantic Analysis on a 35-million-word corpus of texts written for children, deriving a measure of semantic diversity that quantifies the similarity of all the contexts a word appears in. Across three experiments with 6-13-year-old children involving reading aloud and lexical decision, we found a main effect of semantic diversity: high diversity words were responded to faster and read more accurately than low diversity words. Frequency, document count and age of acquisition were also significant predictors of reading behavior. These findings demonstrate that contextual variability contributes to word learning and the development of lexical quality, beyond the effect of frequency.

scholarly journals Does consonant–vowel skeletal structure play a role early in lexical processing? Evidence from masked priming

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
MANUEL PEREA ◽  
ANA MARCET ◽  
JOANA ACHA
Keyword(s):  
Word Processing ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Incongruent Condition ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Skeletal Structure ◽  
Basic Source ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Source Of Information

ABSTRACTIs the specific consonant–vowel (CV) letter combination of a word a basic source of information for lexical access in the early stages of processing? We designed two masked priming lexical decision experiments to respond to this question by directly examining the role of CV skeletal structure in written-word recognition. To that aim, each target word was preceded by a one-letter different nonword prime that kept the same CV skeletal structure or not. We also included an identity prime as a control. Results showed faster word identification times in the CV congruent condition than in the CV incongruent condition when a consonant was replaced from the target (paesaje–PAISAJE < parsaje–PAISAJE), but not when it was a vowel (alusno–ALUMNO = alueno–ALUMNO). This dissociation poses problems for those accounts based on an early activation of the CV skeletal structure during lexical processing. Instead, this pattern of data favors the view that it is the word's consonant skeleton rather than the CV skeletal structure that is the key element in the early phases of word processing. We discuss the theoretical and methodological implications of these findings.

scholarly journals Hipercorrección ortográfica en la marcación del acento en documentos académicos y divulgativos en Costa Rica (Orthographic Hypercorrection Using Accent Marks in Academic and Informative Documents in Costa Rica)

LETRAS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (58) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Judit Tomcsányi
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Special Kind ◽  
Psycholinguistic Research ◽  
Metrical Theory ◽  
Written Word ◽  
Specific Orientation

Trata el tema de la hipercorrección ortográfica, relacionada con el uso abusivo y la dislocación del acento ortográfico en ciertos tipos de textos en el medio costarricense. Desde el análisis fonológico de Harris, basado en la teoría métrica, y de estudios psicolingüísticos sobre el procesamiento de la palabra escrita (Frost, Taft), se sostiene que esa hipercorrección obedece a un procesamiento lexical de la escritura, típica de sistemas ortográficos opacos, y deja de lado el carácter transparente de la ortografía española. Se identifica una orientación de este procesamiento lexical hacia características marcadas del acento que podría ser la expresión de una concepción particular de la ortografía por parte del hablante.This paper examines data of a special kind of misuse of orthographic accent in Spanish, namely its abusive or dislocated application in certain types of texts in Costa Rica. From the perspective of phonological analysis (Harris) in the frame of metrical theory, and of psycholinguistic research on written word processing (Frost, Taft) we argue that this type of hypercorrection is due to lexical processing, typically related to deep orthographies, leaving aside the basically transparent nature of Spanish orthography. A specific orientation of this lexical processing to accent markedness is identified suggesting a particular conception users have of orthography. 

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