An early ERP signal related to prime-target syntactic mismatch in a lexical decision task

IMPERIOSO, CECILIA; JACHENCO, VIRGINIA; ZANUTTO, SILVANO; WAINSELBOIM, ALEJANDRO

Huerta Grande, Córdoba, Argentina

Congreso; 1ª Reunión Conjunta de Neurociencias; 2009

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias

&amp;amp;amp;lt;!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0pt; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 85.05pt 70.85pt 85.05pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --&amp;amp;amp;gt; Two main questions in models of word processing are what information is accessed during word recognition, and which is the temporal dynamics of activation of this information. Event related potentials (ERP) from electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings during performance of language tasks seemed traditionally to support serial models of language processing (eg. Kutas et al 1988; Hagoort et al 1993). These models propose a sequential activation of phonological, semantic and syntactic information associated with words. More recent studies have found ERP signals associated with syntactic mismatches or violations within an early time window (<200 ms), traditionally associated with phonological processing (Barber & Carreiras 2005). In this study we analyzed possible early ERP signals associated with a prime-target mismatch at the syntactic level in a lexical decision task. 26 right-handed native speakers of Spanish, were presented with 100 relevant prime-target pairs and 100 prime-target fillers (ISI 250 ms). All prime and relevant target words were Spanish verbs in 3rd ppl form, while 100 target non-words were fillers. 50 relevant prime-target pairs shared all verbal syntactic information (Same group), while 50 differed only in verbal mode between prime and target (Different group). Results showed a significant decrease in reaction time to targets of the Same group compared to the Different group (p<0.02), showing activation of verbal mode during the task. EGG recordings showed significant differences in frontal channels in the amplitude of an early positivity peaking ca. 100 ms after target appearance. The pattern of results seem to support an early activation of verbal mode information during recognition of spanish verbs.