title: Tracking lexical consolidation with ERPs: Lexical and semantic-priming effects on N400 and LPC responses to newly-learned words.
abstract: Novel words can be recalled immediately and after little exposure, but require a post-learning consolidation period to show word-like behaviour such as lexical competition. This pattern is thought to reflect a qualitative shift from episodic to lexical representations. However, several studies have reported immediate effects of meaningful novel words on semantic processing, suggesting that integration of novel word meanings may not require consolidation. The current study synthesises and extends these findings by showing a dissociation between lexical and semantic effects on the electrophysiological (N400, LPC) response to novel words. The difference in N400 amplitude between novel and existing words (a lexical effect) decreased significantly after a 24-h consolidation period, providing novel support for the hypothesis that offline consolidation aids lexicalisation. In contrast, novel words preceded by semantically related primes elicited a more positive LPC response (a semantic-priming effect) both before and after consolidation, indicating that certain semantic effects can be observed even when words have not been fully lexicalised. We propose that novel meanings immediately start to contribute to semantic processing, but that the underlying neural processes may shift from strategic to more automatic with consolidation.
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Behavioural Science Institute, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: i.bakker@donders.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Iske
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Behavioural Science Institute, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.affiliation: Pennsylvania State University, Department of Psychology, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Radboud University Nijmegen, Behavioural Science Institute, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Janet G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: van Hell
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Behavioural Science Institute, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Janzen
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Behavioural Science Institute, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, P.O. Box 310, 6500 AH Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McQueen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D012660:Semantics; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D014825:Vocabulary; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: EEG; LPC; Memory consolidation; N400; Semantic priming; Word learning