[Event-related brain potentials reflect semantic and syntactic errors during language processing]

EEG EMG Z Elektroenzephalogr Elektromyogr Verwandte Geb. 1990 Jun;21(2):75-81.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Event-related potentials were recorded in a sentence reading paradigm. Sentences were either terminated by a semantically and grammatically appropriate word (word from a different grammatical class syntactic error), a semantically inappropriate word (semantic error) or a semantically appropriate word with a wrong case inflection (morphosyntactic error). For all three types of errors the event-related potential was characterized by a negativity in the 250-600 ms range (N400). The possible implications of these findings for models of sentence processing are discussed. It is concluded that the results strongly support interactive models of sentence processing.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Electroencephalography*
  • Evoked Potentials
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Linguistics*
  • Male
  • Semantics*