Comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic processing using event-related potentials

Abstract

We report the results of a study comparing the temporal dynamics of thematic and taxonomic knowledge activation in a picture-word priming paradigm using event-related potentials. Although we found no behavioral differences between thematic and taxonomic processing, ERP data revealed distinct patterns of N400 and P600 amplitude modulation for thematic and taxonomic priming. Thematically related target stimuli elicited less negativity than taxonomic targets between 280–460 ms after stimulus onset, suggesting easier semantic processing of thematic than taxonomic relationships. Moreover, P600 mean amplitude was significantly increased for taxonomic targets between 520–600 ms, consistent with a greater need for stimulus reevaluation in that condition. These results offer novel evidence in favor of a dissociation between thematic and taxonomic thinking in the early phases of conceptual evaluation.

Overreliance on thematic knowledge in semantic dementia: Evidence from an eye-tracking paradigm.

“…To explain the particular status of thematic knowledge in SD, several behavioral and neurophysiological arguments support the assumption that thematic processing is faster, less effortful, and therefore preferred over taxonomic processing (Kotz, Cappa, von Cramon, & Friederici, 2002; Lawson, Chang, & Wills, 2017; Lin & Murphy, 2001; Sachs et al, 2008; Sass, Sachs, Krach, & Kircher, 2009). Furthermore, taxonomic processing reportedly requires more cognitive resources than thematic processing (Maguire et al, 2010; Savic, Savic, & Kovic, 2017). Others studies nuanced this assumption by incriminating the strength of the semantic relationships rather than the type of semantic relationships (Geller, Landrigan, & Mirman, 2019; Thompson et al, 2017) as the cognitive control requirement is mainly determined by the strength of the semantic relationship.…”

Characteristics of N400 component elicited in patients who have migraine with aura

“…Figure 4 shows the mapping of statistical significance between groups for certain time bins. The interval of difference is considered significant only if statistically significant differences occurred in more than 3 consecutive time bins (corresponding to intervals longer than 60 ms duration) to filter out potential statistical artifacts in line with expected electrophysiological signal properties [ 19 ]. The obtained results revealed no intervals of statistical significance for the congruent condition and multiple intervals of statistical significance for the incongruent condition between groups.…”

Identification of taxonomic and thematic relationships: Do the two semantic systems have the same status in semantic dementia?

“…Second, when the temporal dynamics of EEG signals are analyzed in ERP and event-related spectral perturbation studies, thematic processing turns out to be easier than taxonomic processing. In a word-image verification task, Savic, Savic, and Kovic (2017) revealed distinct EEG signal patterns for N400 and P600 when the prime was taxonomically versus thematically related to the target. The thematic relationship elicited less negativity on the N400 effect while the taxonomic one engaged higher P600 modulation in a late temporal window.…”