Words and pseudowords elicit distinct patterns of 30-Hz EEG responses in humans.
Meaningful words, such as moon, and physically similar but meaningless pseudowords, such as noom, were presented visually in a lexical decision task. The EEG was recorded from 17 scalp electrodes. Significant differences between both stimulus classes were observed in evoked spectral responses of the 'gamma-band' approximately 30 Hz. A hemisphere by wordness interaction demonstrated that 30-Hz spectral power over the left hemisphere was reduced after pseudowords only. These results indicate that gamma-band responses reflect the different cognitive processes induced by words and pseudowords. A possible explanation is the following. Synchronous activation of large cortical cell assemblies takes place after word presentation but not after presentation of pseudowords.
Lutzenberger
W
W
Institut für Medizinische Psychologie und Verhaltensneurobiologie, Universität Tübingen, Germany.
Pulvermüller
F
F
Birbaumer
N
N
D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D013016:Sound; D013060:Speech