Speech event related potentials reflect linguistic content and processing level.
Amplitude changes in the auditory event related response reflect differences in linguistic content and the level of processing of spoken sentences. Thus, the neurophysiology of the cognitive processes underlying speech perception can be evaluated by noninvasive techniques. Semantically correct, semantically incorrect, and grammatically incorrect sentences were processed either semantically or syntactically by 25 subjects while their EEGs were recorded. The amplitude of the P250 component to each word varied with processing level. A slow positive wave appeared after semantically correct sentences regardless of the linguistic processing level. N480 and P780 components were observed following words which made the sentences incorrect.
D000328:Adult; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011578:Psycholinguistics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012660:Semantics; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*