title: Selectivity of N170 for visual words in the right hemisphere: Evidence from single-trial analysis.
abstract: Neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies have identified the involvement of the right posterior region in the processing of visual words. Interestingly, in contrast, ERP studies of the N170 typically demonstrate selectivity for words more strikingly over the left hemisphere. Why is right hemisphere selectivity for words during the N170 epoch typically not observed, despite the clear involvement of this region in word processing? One possibility is that amplitude differences measured on averaged ERPs in previous studies may have been obscured by variation in peak latency across trials. This study examined this possibility by using single-trial analysis. Results show that words evoked greater single-trial N170s than control stimuli in the right hemisphere. Additionally, we observed larger trial-to-trial variability on N170 peak latency for words as compared to control stimuli over the right hemisphere. Results demonstrate that, in contrast to much of the prior literature, the N170 can be selective to words over the right hemisphere. This discrepancy is explained in terms of variability in trial-to-trial peak latency for responses to words over the right hemisphere.
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.|Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China.|Center for Cognition and Brain Disorder, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4043-341X
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.|Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China.|Center for Cognition and Brain Disorder, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.|Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China.|Center for Cognition and Brain Disorder, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Carl M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.affiliation: Objects and Knowledge Laboratory, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.|Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China.|Center for Cognition and Brain Disorder, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yufei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.|Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China.|Center for Cognition and Brain Disorder, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xuchu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Weng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D011932:Reading; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: N170; right hemisphere; selectivity; single-trial analysis; word recognition