Gamma-band desynchronization in language areas reflects syntactic process of words.
The aim of this study was to verify the relation between gamma-band activity and process of function words. We recorded the neuromagnetic signals in six healthy volunteers during silent reading of verbs (verb task) and forming of the past tenses (past-tense task) and investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of event-related desynchronization (ERD) and synchronization using synthetic aperture magnetometry. In both tasks, ERDs were observed simultaneously at multiple language-related areas. The left junctional area of inferior frontal sulcus and precentral sulcus and the left supramarginal gyrus showed stronger and/or longer-lasting ERDs in past-tense task than in verb task. This result suggests that the gamma-activities reflect the syntactic process of words.
Ihara
Aya
A
Department of Basic Laboratory Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. aya-i@sahs.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Hirata
Masayuki
M
Sakihara
Kotoe
K
Izumi
Hiromi
H
Takahashi
Yuko
Y
Kono
Kaoru
K
Imaoka
Hiroyuki
H
Osaki
Yasuhiro
Y
Kato
Amami
A
Yoshimine
Toshiki
T
Yorifuji
Shiro
S
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008037:Linguistics; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011932:Reading