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Operant conditioning of left-hemispheric slow cortical potentials and its effect on word processing
F Pulvermüller1, B Mohr, H Schleichert
1MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, 15 Chaucer Road, CB2 2EF, Cambridge, UK. friedmann.pulvermuller@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
Biological Psychology
|September 1, 2000
Summary
Learned modulation of cortical activity, specifically slow cortical potentials (SCPs), can modify language processing. Participants who controlled their brain activity showed altered word processing speeds, demonstrating a link between cognitive control and linguistic function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- Understanding the brain's capacity for self-regulation is crucial for cognitive enhancement.
- Investigating the link between cortical activity modulation and higher-level cognitive functions like language is an active research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if learned modulation of cortical activity can alter language-related cognitive processes.
- To examine the behavioral effects of operant conditioning on slow cortical potentials (SCPs) in language cortices.
Main Methods:
- Participants underwent biofeedback training to control slow cortical potentials (SCPs) over left-hemispheric language areas.
- Behavioral experiments assessed word processing speed (lexical decision tasks) and accuracy under different SCP feedback conditions (negative vs. positive shifts).
- Control groups and lateralized-tachistoscopic presentation were used to validate findings and rule out non-linguistic confounds.
Main Results:
- Subjects achieving reliable control of SCPs demonstrated significant modifications in word processing.
- Lexical decision times were faster when negative SCP shifts were conditioned and slower during positive shifts.
- Behavioral changes were specific to word processing, most pronounced for actual words, and absent in control subjects or non-linguistic tasks.
Conclusions:
- Operant conditioning of cortical activity can directly influence linguistic processes.
- This suggests that cognitive control over neural activity in language areas can modulate language processing efficiency.
- Findings support the interaction between attention, cortical activity, and language function.