Automatic auditory word perception as measured by 40 Hz EEG responses.
OBJECTIVE
Here we report the existence of automatic speech perception in man, revealed by 40 Hz EEG responses.


METHODS
We presented to Finnish subjects the Finnish word /tu:li/(wind) as the standard stimulus and another Finnish word /tuli/(fire) as the deviant stimulus using a passive auditory oddball task. The experiment was also conducted with pseudowords as stimuli.


RESULTS
We observed a global significant increase in 40 Hz EEG power at 600 ms after stimulus onset for words, but not for pseudowords.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that the memory representation of the standard verbal stimuli, even if unattended, might not merely be based on the physical features of the stimuli: if a semantic representation exists, then the brain processes it pre-attentively.
Krause
C M
CM
Department of Psychology, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
Korpilahti
P
P
Pörn
B
B
Jäntti
J
J
Lang
H A
HA
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male