Fractionating language comprehension via frequency characteristics of the human EEG

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 409 - 412
• Main Authors: Roehm, Dietmar, Schlesewsky, Matthias, Bornkessel, Ina, Frisch, Stefan, Haider, Hubert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01-03-2004; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Conflict (Psychology); Delta Rhythm; Electroencephalography; Evoked Potentials - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Language; Psycholinguistics; Reading; Semantics; Theta Rhythm; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Human; Electrophysiology; Electroencephalography; Language; Event evoked potential
• ISSN: 0959-4965; 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200403010-00005

We present a new analysis technique for EEG research on language comprehension, which dissociates superficially indistinguishable event-related potential (ERP) components. A frequency-based analysis differentiated between two apparently identical but functionally distinct N400 effects in terms of activity in separable frequency bands, and whether the activity stemmed from increased power or phase locking. Whereas linguistic problem detection is associated with theta band activity (∼3.5–7.5 Hz), conflict resolution correlates with activity in the delta band (1–3 Hz). The data further differentiate between the neuronal processing mechanisms involved in different types of conflict resolution on the basis of frequency characteristics (power vs phase locking).