Oscillatory Brain Dynamics during Sentence Reading: a Fixation-Related Spectral Perturbation Analysis

Lorenzo Vignali, Nicole A Himmelstoss, Stefan Hawelka, Fabio Richlan, Florian Hutzler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The present study investigated oscillatory brain dynamics during self-paced sentence-level processing. Participants read fully correct sentences, sentences containing a semantic violation and "sentences" in which the order of the words was randomized. At the target word level, fixations on semantically unrelated words elicited a lower-beta band (13-18 Hz) desynchronization. At the sentence level, gamma power (31-55 Hz) increased linearly for syntactically correct sentences, but not when the order of the words was randomized. In the 300-900 ms time window after sentence onsets, theta power (4-7 Hz) was greater for syntactically correct sentences as compared to sentences where no syntactic structure was preserved (random words condition). We interpret our results as conforming with a recently formulated predictive-coding framework for oscillatory neural dynamics during sentence-level language comprehension. Additionally, we discuss how our results relate to previous findings with serial visual presentation vs. self-paced reading.

Original languageEnglish
Article number191
Number of pages13
JournalFrontiers in Human Neuroscience
Volume10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Apr 2016

Keywords

  • brain oscillations
  • electroencephalography
  • sentence processing
  • eye movements
  • semantic violation

Fields of Science and Technology Classification 2012

  • 301 Medical-Theoretical Sciences, Pharmacy
  • 501 Psychology
  • 107 Other Natural Sciences

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