In several experiments, we compared behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of hemifield tachistoscopic presentations of single words and nonwords for lexical decision in English and in Hebrew. The English task showed an overall right visual field advantage for latency and accuracy, which was larger for target words than for nonwords, suggesting independent processing in each hemisphere. The right hemisphere was more sensitive to word frequency than the left, and the left hemisphere was more sensitive to orthographic regularity than the right. All lexical variables (Wordness, Frequency, Regularity, and Word Pronounceability) had physiological correlates, and those correlates were often different in the two hemispheres. Occasionally, the behavioral and physiological measures conflicted and some lexical variables had physiological but no behavioral correlates. The physiological variables can reflect early stages of information processing that are not available to conscious decision. Moreover, different cognitive phenomena may have the same EEG correlates. Thus, gamma changes as a function of Lexicality (Wordness), semantic (Word Frequency), orthographic (Word Regularity), and phonological (Nonword Pronounceability) variables.
The Hebrew lexical decision task showed an overall right visual field advantage, but not the same for target word and nonword, suggesting exclusive specialization in the left hemisphere. The EEG at rest was predictive of subsequent hemispheric specialization for lexical decision.
We also studied hemispheric error monitoring in the English task. We found that while the left hemisphere was superior for lexical decision, the right hemisphere better monitored errors and adapted to them by slowing down and becoming more accurate. Further, error correction in a given trial was negatively correlated with left asymmetry in the alpha amplitude over mid and posterior electrodes. Thus, effective error monitoring seems to require interhemispheric cooperation.
We conclude that the EEG, as currently measured, differentiate all the relevant dimensions of the lateralized lexical decision task, but that it taps different stages of processing. The EEG response in the gamma band multiply determines so that different cognitive states have the same EEG signature. Consequently, a more refined, wider range, and more theoretically informed partitioning of the EEG spectra is now due.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Barnea, A., Mooshagian, E., & Zaidel, E. (2003). The development of hemispheric specialization and interhemispheric interaction in Hebrew. Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, 10, 30.
Barnea, A., Zaidel, E., Greene, D., Rassis, A., Raz, A., Johnstone, J., & Metzler, Y. (2005). Effect of neurofeedback on lateralized attention networks in learning-disabled young adults. Brain & Cognition, 59 (3), 314-321.
Bastiaansen, M., & Hagoort, P. (2006). Oscillatory neuronal dynamics during language comprehension. Progress in Brain Research, 159, 179-96.
Bizas, E., Simos, P. G., Stam, C. J., Arvanitis, S., Terzakis, D., & Micheloyannis, S. (1999). EEG correlates of cerebral engagement in reading tasks. Brain Topography, 12 (2), 99-105.
Fiebach, C. J., Friederici, A. D., Muller, K., & VonCramon, D. Y. (2002). FMRI evidence for dual routes to the mental lexicon in visual word recognition. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 14 (1), 11-23.
Francis, W. N., & Kucera, H. (1982). Frequency analysis of English usage, lexicon and grammar. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Hirschmann, S., Lamschtein, C., BazBarChana, M, Barnea, A., & Zaidel, E. (2003). Hemispheric specialization and interhemispheric interaction in schizophrenia. Annual Meeting for the Israeli Society for Neuroscience.
Iacoboni, M., Rayman, J., & Zaidel, E. (1997). Does the previous trial affect lateralized lexical decision? Neuropsychologia, 35, 81-88.
Iacoboni, M., & Zaidel, E. (1996). Hemispheric independence in word recognition: Evidence from unilateral and bilateral presentations. Brain and Language, 53, 121-140.
Kaplan, J. T., Iacoboni, M., & Zaidel, E. The neural mechanisms of feedback processing in lexical decision: an fMRI study. Unpublished manuscript.
Kaplan, J. T., & Zaidel, E. (2001). Error monitoring in the hemispheres: The effect of feedback on lateralized lexical decision. Cognition, 82, 157-178.
Kaplan, J. T., & Zaidel, E. Impaired error correction in the split brain. Unpublished manuscript.
Khader, P., & Rosler, F. (2004). EEG power and coherence analysis of visually presented nouns and verbs reveals left frontal processing differences. Neuroscience Letters, 354 (2), 111-114.
Kim, K. H., & Kim, J. H. (2006). Analysis of induced gamma-band activity in EEG during visual perception of Korean, English, Chinese words. Neuroscience Letters, 403 (3), 216-221.
Klimesch, W. (1999). EEG alpha and theta oscillations reflect cognitive and memory performance: a review and analysis. Brain Research, Brain Research Reviews, 29 (2-3), 169-195.
Lutzenberger, W., Pulvermuller, F., & Birbaumer, N. (1994). Words and nonwords elicit distinct patterns of 30-Hz EEG responses in humans. Neuroscience Letters, 176 (1),115-8.
Melamed, F., & Zaidel, E. (1993). Language and task effects on lateralized word recognition. Brain & Language, 45, 70-85.
Narr, K. L., Green, M. F., Capetillo-Cunliffe, L., Toga, A. W., & Zaidel, E. (2003). Lateralized lexical decision in schizophrenia: Hemispheric specialization and interhemispheric lexicality priming. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 112, 623-632.
Pulvermuller, F., Lutzenberger, W., & Preissl, H. (1999). Nouns and verbs in the intact brain: evidence from event-related potentials and high-frequency cortical responses. Cerebral Cortex, 9 (5), 497-506.
Tanji, K., Suzuki, K., Delorme, A., Shamoto, H., & Nakasato, N. (2005). High-frequency gamma-band activity in the basal temporal cortex during picture-naming and lexical-decision tasks. Journal of Neuroscience, 25 (13), 3287-3293.
Tomberg, C. (1999). Focal enhancement of chaotic strange attractor dimension in the left semantic (Wernicke) human cortex during reading without concomitant change in vigilance level. Neuroscience Letters, 263 (2-3), 177-180.
Weems, S., & Zaidel, E. (2004a). The relationship between reading ability and lateralized lexical decision. Brain & Cognition, 55 (3), 507-515.
Weems, S., Zaidel, E., Berman, S., & Mandelkern, M. (2004b). Asymmetry in alpha power predicts errors in hemispheric lexical decision. Clinical Neurophysiology, 115 (7), 1575-1582.
Weems, S., Zaidel, E., Berman, S., & Mandelkern, M. Behavioral and electrophysiological response for repeated lateralized lexical stimuli. Unpublished manuscript (a). Weems, S., Zaidel, E., Berman, S., & Mandelkern, M. Electrophysiological response to laterally presented lexical stimuli. Unpublished manuscript (b).Weems, S., Zaidel, E., Berman, S., & Mandelkern, M. Gamma response to lexical stimuli in the split-brain: electrophysiological response in absence of behavioral competency. Unpublished manuscript (c).Weiss, S., & Mueller, H. M. (2003). The contribution of EEG coherence to the investigation of language. Brain and Language, 85(2), 325-43.
Zaidel, E. (1998). Language in the right hemisphere following callosal disconnection. In B. Stemmer & H. Whitaker (Eds.), Handbook of Neurolinguistics (pp. 369-383). New York: Academic Press.
Zaidel, E., Clarke, J. M., & Suyenobu, B. (1990). Hemispheric independence: A paradigm case for cognitive neuroscience. In A. B. Scheibel & A. F. Wechsler (Eds.), Neurobiology of Higher Cognitive Function (pp. 297-335). New York: Guilford Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zaidel, E., Hill, A., Weems, S. (2008). EEG Correlates of Hemispheric Word Recognition. In: Breznitz, Z. (eds) Brain Research in Language. Literacy Studies, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74980-8_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74980-8_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-74979-2
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-74980-8
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)