Electrophysiological correlates of noun-verb processing in adults

Auditory event related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to a series of nouns and verbs while 16 adults watched videotaped scenes. The scenes depicted an individual using objects or performing actions that were either labeled or not named by the auditorily presented nouns or verbs. Electrodes were placed over the left and right hemisphere frontal, temporal, and parietal regions of the scalp. Analyses compared ERPs elicited by words that matched or failed to match the scenes. Marked changes were noted in the ERPs recorded from electrode placements across the two hemispheres in response to words that served two different syntactic functions. This procedure is viewed as a useful technique for use with younger subject populations.