Event-related Potential Correlates of Negation in a Sentence–Picture Verification Paradigm

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 1355-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Lüdtke ◽  
Claudia K. Friedrich ◽  
Mónica De Filippis ◽  
Barbara Kaup
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Priming Effect ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Foreground Object ◽  
Negative Particle ◽  
Sentence Meaning ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Main Effects

In a sentence–picture verification paradigm, participants were presented in a rapid-serial-visual-presentation paradigm with affirmative or negative sentences (e.g., “In the front of the tower there is a/no ghost”) followed by a matching or mismatching picture. Response latencies and event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured during reading and verification. An enhanced negative shift in the ERPs for the subject noun (i.e., “ghost”) in negative, compared to affirmative sentences, was found during reading. We relate this ERP deflection to enhanced processing demands required by the negative particle no. Although this effect suggests a direct impact of negation on language processing, results for picture processing reveal that negation is not immediately integrated into sentence meaning. When the delay of picture presentation was short (250 msec), verification latencies and ERPs evoked by the picture showed a priming effect independent of whether the sentence contained a negation. Unprimed pictures (foreground object not mentioned in the sentence) led to longer latencies and higher N400 amplitudes than primed pictures (foreground object mentioned in the sentence). Main effects of negation showed up only in a late positive-going ERP effect. In contrast, when the delay was long (1500 msec), we observed main effects of truth value and negation in addition to the priming effect already in the N400 time window, that is, negation is fully integrated into sentence meaning only at a later point in the comprehension process. When negation has not yet been integrated, verification decisions appear to be modulated by additional time-consuming reanalysis processes.

scholarly journals Lexical processing deficits in children with developmental language disorder: An event-related potentials study

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 459-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey A. Kornilov ◽  
James S. Magnuson ◽  
Natalia Rakhlin ◽  
Nicole Landi ◽  
Elena L. Grigorenko
Keyword(s):  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Processing Deficits

AbstractLexical processing deficits in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have been postulated to arise as sequelae of their grammatical deficits (either directly or via compensatory mechanisms) and vice versa. We examined event-related potential indices of lexical processing in children with DLD (n= 23) and their typically developing peers (n= 16) using a picture–word matching paradigm. We found that children with DLD showed markedly reduced N400 amplitudes in response both to auditorily presented words that had initial phonological overlap with the name of the pictured object and to words that were not semantically or phonologically related to the pictured object. Moreover, this reduction was related to behavioral indices of phonological and lexical but not grammatical development. We also found that children with DLD showed a depressed phonological mapping negativity component in the early time window, suggesting deficits in phonological processing or early lexical access. The results are partially consistent with the overactivation account of lexical processing deficits in DLD and point to the relative functional independence of lexical/phonological and grammatical deficits in DLD, supporting a multidimensional view of the disorder. The results also, although indirectly, support the neuroplasticity account of DLD, according to which language impairment affects brain development and shapes the specific patterns of brain responses to language stimuli.

scholarly journals Electrophysiological signatures of English onomatopoeia

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
GABRIELLA VIGLIOCCO ◽  
YE ZHANG ◽  
NICOLA DEL MASCHIO ◽  
ROSANNA TODD ◽  
JYRKI TUOMAINEN
Keyword(s):  
Target Word ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Semantic Activation ◽  
Level Ii ◽  
Lexical Effects ◽  
Related Potentials

abstractOnomatopoeia is widespread across the world’s languages. They represent a relatively simple iconic mapping: the phonological/phonetic properties of the word evokes acoustic related features of referents. Here, we explore the EEG correlates of processing onomatopoeia in English. Participants were presented with a written cue-word (e.g., leash) and then with a spoken target-word. The target-word was either an onomatopoeia (e.g., bark), a sound-related but arbitrary word (e.g., melody), or another arbitrary word (e.g., bike). Participants judged whether the cue- and the target-word were similar in meaning. We analysed Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) in different time-windows: (i) early (100–200 and 200–250 ms) to assess differences in processing at the form-level; (ii) the N400 time-window (300–500 ms) in order to establish if there are differences in semantic processing across our word-types; and (iii) late (600–900 ms) to assess post-lexical effects. We found that onomatopoeia differed from the other words in the N400 time-window: when cue and target were unrelated, onomatopoeic words led to greater negativity which can be accounted for in terms of enhanced semantic activation of onomatopoeia which leads to greater salience of the mismatch. We discuss results in the context of a growing body of literature investigating iconicity in language processing and development.

scholarly journals The Impact of Proficiency on Syntactic Second-language Processing of German and Italian: Evidence from Event-related Potentials

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 2030-2048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Rossi ◽  
Manfred F. Gugler ◽  
Angela D. Friederici ◽  
Anja Hahne
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Word Category ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Anterior Negativity ◽  
The Impact

The present study investigated the role of proficiency in late second-language (L2) processing using comparable stimuli in German and Italian. Both sets of stimuli consisted of simple active sentences including a word category violation, a morphosyntactic agreement violation, or a combination of the two. Four experiments were conducted to study high- and low-proficiency L2 learners of German as well as high- and low-proficiency L2 learners of Italian. High-proficiency L2 learners in both languages showed the same event-related potential (ERP) components as native speakers for all syntactic violations. For the word category violation, they displayed an early anterior negativity (ELAN), an additional negativity reflecting reference-related processes, and a late P600 evidencing processes of reanalysis. For the processing of the morphosyntactic error, an anterior negativity (LAN) and a P600 were observed, whereas for the combined violation, the same ERP components were found as in the pure category violation. In high-proficiency L2 learners, the timing of the processing steps was equivalent to that of native speakers, although some amplitude differences were present. Low-proficiency L2 learners, however, showed qualitative differences in the agreement violation characterized by the absence of the LAN and quantitative differences reflected in a delayed P600 in every violation condition. These findings emphasize that with a high proficiency, late L2 learners can indeed show native-like neural responses with the timing approximating that of native speakers. This challenges the idea that there are fundamental differences in language processing in the brain between natives and late L2 learners.

It's Early: Event-related Potential Evidence for Initial Interaction of Syntax and Prosody in Speech Comprehension

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 1696-1711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Korinna Eckstein ◽  
Angela D. Friederici
Keyword(s):  
Time Window ◽  
Critical Word ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Speech Comprehension ◽  
Initial Structure ◽  
Structure Building ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Initial Processing ◽  
Critical Words

Psycholinguistic theories assume an interaction between prosody and syntax during language processing. Based on studies using mostly off-line methods, it is unclear whether an interaction occurs at later or initial processing stages. Using event-related potentials, the present study provides neurophysiological evidence for a prosody and syntax interaction in initial processing. The sentence material contained mere prosodic and syntactic as well as combined prosodic-syntactic violations. For the syntax violation, the critical word appeared after a preposition. The suffix of the critical word either indicated a noun fulfilling the syntactic requirements of the preceding preposition or a verb causing a word category violation. For the prosodic manipulation, congruent critical words were normally intonated (signaling sentence continuation) while prosodically incongruent critical words signaled sentence end. For the mere prosodic incongruity, a broadly distributed negativity was observed at the critical word-stem (300–500 msec aligned to word onset). In response to a mere syntactic error, a left temporal negativity was elicited in an early time window (200–400 msec aligned to suffix onset), taken to reflect initial phrase structure building processes. In contrast, in response to the combined prosodic-syntactic violation, an early temporal negativity showed up bilaterally at the suffix in the same time window. Our interpretation is that the process of initial structure building as reflected in the early left anterior negativity recruits additional right hemispheric neural resources when the critical word contains both syntactic and prosodic violations. This suggests the immediate influence of phrasal prosody during the initial parsing stage in speech processing.

Intra- and crossmodal refractory effects in auditory and somatosensory ERPs

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Boukje Habets ◽  
Marlene Hense ◽  
Davide Bottari ◽  
Brigitte Roeder
Keyword(s):  
Time Window ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Auditory Stimuli ◽  
Preceding Stimulus ◽  
Period Effects ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Random Manner ◽  
Main Effects

Refractory period effects are defined as a temporal decrement in neural response due to a previous activation of the same system. We varied the ISI and modality of a preceding stimulus to investigate overlapping and distinct neural systems processing auditory and tactile stimuli. Auditory stimuli and tactile stimuli were presented in a sequential, random manner with a duration of 50 ms and an ISI of 1000 or 2000 ms. The P1–N1–P2 complex of event-related potentials (ERP) was analyzed separately for auditory and tactile stimuli, as a function of preceding ISI and modality. Main effects of ISI and modality were found within the time-window of the P1 and P2 (auditory) and P1, N1 and P2 (tactile). These results suggest an overlap in underlying neural systems when stimuli from different modalities are being processed.

scholarly journals Event-related Potentials Associated with Masked Priming of Test Cues Reveal Multiple Potential Contributions to Recognition Memory

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1114-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Woollams ◽  
Jason R. Taylor ◽  
Frini Karayanidis ◽  
Richard N. Henson
Keyword(s):  
Recognition Memory ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Repetition Effect ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Related Potentials

The relationship between recognition memory and repetition priming remains unclear. Priming is believed to reflect increased processing fluency for previously studied items relative to new items. Manipulations that affect fluency can also affect the likelihood that participants will judge items as studied in recognition tasks. This attribution of fluency to memory has been related to the familiarity process, as distinct from the recollection process, that is assumed by dual-process models of recognition memory. To investigate the time courses and neural sources of fluency, familiarity, and recollection, we conducted an event-related potential (ERP) study of recognition memory using masked priming of test cues and a remember/know paradigm. During the recognition test, studied and unstudied words were preceded by a brief, masked word that was either the same or different. Participants decided quickly whether each item had been studied (“old” or “new”), and for items called old, indicated whether they “remembered” (R) the encoding event, or simply “knew” (K) the item had been studied. Masked priming increased the proportion of K, but not R, judgments. Priming also decreased response times for hits but not correct rejections (CRs). Four distinct ERP effects were found. A medial-frontal FN400 (300–500 msec) was associated with familiarity (R, K Hits > CRs) and a centro-parietal late positivity (500–800 msec) with recollection (R Hits > K Hits, CRs). A long-term repetition effect was found for studied items judged “new” (Misses > CRs) in the same time window as the FN400, but with a posterior distribution. Finally, a centrally distributed masked priming effect was visible between 150 and 250 msec and continued into the 300–500 msec time window, where it was topographically dissociable from the FN400. These results suggest that multiple neural signals are associated with repetition and potentially contribute to recognition memory.

scholarly journals Wavelet-Based Semblance Methods to Enhance the Single-Trial Detection of Event-Related Potentials for a BCI Spelling System

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Saavedra ◽  
Rodrigo Salas ◽  
Laurent Bougrain
Keyword(s):  
Time Window ◽  
Similarity Measures ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Single Trial ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Window Selection ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Multichannel Eeg

Based on similarity measures in the wavelet domain under a multichannel EEG setting, two new methods are developed for single-trial event-related potential (ERP) detection. The first method, named “multichannel EEG thresholding by similarity” (METS), simultaneously denoises all of the information recorded by the channels. The second approach, named “semblance-based ERP window selection” (SEWS), presents two versions to automatically localize the ERP in time for each subject to reduce the time window to be analysed by removing useless features. We empirically show that when these methods are used independently, they are suitable for ERP denoising and feature extraction. Meanwhile, the combination of both methods obtains better results compared to using them independently. The denoising algorithm was compared with classic thresholding methods based on wavelets and was found to obtain better results, which shows its suitability for ERP processing. The combination of the two algorithms for denoising the signals and selecting the time window has been compared to xDAWN, which is an efficient algorithm to enhance ERPs. We conclude that our wavelet-based semblance method performs better than xDAWN for single-trial detection in the presence of artifacts or noise.

scholarly journals Retrieval (N400) and integration (P600) in expectation-based comprehension

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257430
Author(s):  
Christoph Aurnhammer ◽  
Francesca Delogu ◽  
Miriam Schulz ◽  
Harm Brouwer ◽  
Matthew W. Crocker
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Lexical Retrieval ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Lexical Association ◽  
Reading Experiment ◽  
Continuous Relation ◽  
Open Question

Expectation-based theories of language processing, such as Surprisal theory, are supported by evidence of anticipation effects in both behavioural and neurophysiological measures. Online measures of language processing, however, are known to be influenced by factors such as lexical association that are distinct from—but often confounded with—expectancy. An open question therefore is whether a specific locus of expectancy related effects can be established in neural and behavioral processing correlates. We address this question in an event-related potential experiment and a self-paced reading experiment that independently cross expectancy and lexical association in a context manipulation design. We find that event-related potentials reveal that the N400 is sensitive to both expectancy and lexical association, while the P600 is modulated only by expectancy. Reading times, in turn, reveal effects of both association and expectancy in the first spillover region, followed by effects of expectancy alone in the second spillover region. These findings are consistent with the Retrieval-Integration account of language comprehension, according to which lexical retrieval (N400) is facilitated for words that are both expected and associated, whereas integration difficulty (P600) will be greater for unexpected words alone. Further, an exploratory analysis suggests that the P600 is not merely sensitive to expectancy violations, but rather, that there is a continuous relation. Taken together, these results suggest that the P600, like reading times, may reflect a meaning-centric notion of Surprisal in language comprehension.

scholarly journals Age-by-Emotion Interactions in Memory Retrieval Processes: An Event-Related Potential Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1101-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclyn H Ford ◽  
Elizabeth A Kensinger
Keyword(s):  
Time Window ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Retrieval Processes ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Component Processes ◽  
Effect Of Age

Abstract Objectives Although research has identified age-by-emotion interactions in memory performance and in neural recruitment during retrieval, it remains unclear which retrieval processes are affected. The temporal resolution of event-related potentials (ERPs) provides a way to examine different component processes that operate during retrieval. Methods In the present study, younger and older adults encoded neutral and emotional images paired with neutral titles. ERPs were assessed during a recognition memory task in which participants viewed neutral titles and indicated whether each had been presented during encoding. Results An age-related posterior-to-anterior shift began in a time window typically associated with recollection-related processes (500–800 ms) while an age-by-emotion interaction occurred only during a later measurement window (800–1,200 ms). Discussion These findings suggest an effect of age on mechanisms supporting retrieval of episodic content, prior to post-retrieval processing. The potential relations to different types of detail retrieval are discussed. Further, the later age-by-emotion interactions suggest that age influences the effect of emotion on post-retrieval processes, specifically.

scholarly journals Event Related Potential Signal Capture Can Be Enhanced through Dynamic SNR-Weighted Channel Pooling

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 7258
Author(s):  
Sujoy Ghosh Ghosh Hajra ◽  
Careesa C. Liu ◽  
Shaun D. Fickling ◽  
Gabriela M. Pawlowski ◽  
Xiaowei Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
New Technique ◽  
Pool Data ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Related Potentials

Background: Electroencephalography (EEG)-derived event-related potentials (ERPs) provide information about a variety of brain functions, but often suffer from low inherent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To overcome the low SNR, techniques that pool data from multiple sensors have been applied. However, such pooling implicitly assumes that the SNR among sensors is equal, which is not necessarily valid. This study presents a novel approach for signal pooling that accounts for differential SNR among sensors. Methods: The new technique involves pooling together signals from multiple EEG channels weighted by their respective SNRs relative to the overall SNR of all channels. We compared ERP responses derived using this new technique with those derived using both individual channels as well as traditional averaged-based channel pooling. The outcomes were evaluated in both simulated data and real data from healthy adult volunteers (n = 37). Responses corresponding to a range of ERP components indexing auditory sensation (N100), attention (P300) and language processing (N400) were evaluated. Results: Simulation results demonstrate that, compared to traditional pooling technique, the new SNR-weighted channel pooling technique improved ERP response effect size in cases of unequal noise among channels (p’s < 0.001). Similarly, results from real-world experimental data showed that the new technique resulted in significantly greater ERP effect sizes compared to either traditional pooling or individual channel approach for all three ERP components (p’s < 0.001). Furthermore, the new channel pooling approach also resulted in larger ERP signal amplitudes as well as greater differences among experimental conditions (p’s < 0.001). Conclusion: These results suggest that the new technique improves the capture of ERP responses relative to traditional techniques. As such, SNR-weighted channel pooling can further enable widespread applications of ERP techniques, especially those that require rapid assessments in noisy out-of-laboratory environments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document