Neural synchronization mediates on-line sentence processing: EEG coherence evidence from filler-gap constructions.

Full Abstract

This study investigated cognitive and neural processes involved in gap filling during on-line sentence comprehension. Electroencephalogram (EEG) coherences were used to demonstrate that increases in the synchronization of neural activity in different cortical regions occur during gap filling when load in semantic working memory is high due to semantically unrelated words in the filler-gap interval. Sentences could either require gap filling at a verb or not, and the nouns preceding the verb could be either semantically related or unrelated. In the unrelated but not related condition, coherences in the beta band were larger during verb processing for sentences requiring gap filling compared to sentences not requiring gap filling. The coherence changes involved linkages between frontal and posterior temporal-parietal sites in both hemispheres. These results further indicate that semantic working memory is involved in the process of gap filling.

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Author information

Author/s: Haarmann, Henk I (HI); Cameron, Katherine A (KA); Ruchkin, Daniel S (DS);

Affiliation: Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. hhaarmann(-atsign-)hesp.umd.edu

Grants: NS11199 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Psychophysiology (Psychophysiology), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 39 (issue 6) : pp 820-5

Dates: Created 2002/12/03; Completed 2003/02/10; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12462509, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Brain Mapping
Cerebral Cortex - physiology
Concept Formation - physiology
Cortical Synchronization
Electroencephalography
Female
Humans

Humans
Male
Mental Recall - physiology
Problem Solving - physiology
Psycholinguistics
Reading
Semantics
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

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