Lexical-semantic processes in children with specific language impairment.
The current study used event-related brain potentials to investigate lexical-semantic processing of words in sentences spoken by children with specific language impairment and children with normal language development. Children heard correct sentences and sentences with a violation of the selectional restriction of the verb. Control children showed an N400 effect followed by a late positivity for the incorrect sentences. In contrast, children with specific language impairment showed no N400 effect but did show a late, broadly distributed positivity. This absence of the N400 effect is due to a relatively large negativity for correct sentences, suggesting weaker lexical-semantic representations of the verbs and their selectional restrictions in children with specific language impairment.
Sabisch
Beate
B
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. sabisch@cbs.mpg.de
Hahne
Anja
A
Glass
Elisabeth
E
von Suchodoletz
Waldemar
W
Friederici
Angela D
AD
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012660:Semantics