Investigating reading comprehension through EEG

Autores

  • Luciane Baretta Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste
  • Lêda Maria Braga Tomitch UFSC
  • Vanessa Kwan Lim University of Auckland
  • Karen E. Waldie University of Auckland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2012n63p69

Resumo

 

 

Experimental studies point that different factors can influence reading comprehension, such as the topic, text type, reading task, and others. The advances in technologies for the past decades have provided researchers with several possibilities to investigate what goes on in one’s brain since their eyes meet the page until comprehension is achieved. Since the mid-80’s, numerous studies have been conducted with the use of the electroencephalogram (EEG) to investigate the process of reading, through the analysis of different components – n400, n100 or n1, P2, among others. These components reveal, for example, how the brain integrates the meaning of a specific word in the semantic context of a given sentence.  based on previous studies, which demonstrate that different types of words affect cognitive load, this paper aims at investigating how the brain processes function and content words inserted in expository and narrative texts with suitable / unsuitable conclusions. results showed that the type of text and word influence the cognitive load in different scalp areas (midline, right and left hemispheres). The  n1s were more pronounced to the content words inserted in narrative texts and to the function words inserted in the expository type of texts, corroborating former studies.

Biografia do Autor

Luciane Baretta, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste

Luciane Baretta has a Phd in English/applied  linguistics from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina  and holds a position at Universidade Estadual do Centro-oeste (UniCEntro) in the language department. her main research interests lie in the areas of second language acquisition and reading comprehension, including both cognitive and instructional aspects.

Lêda Maria Braga Tomitch, UFSC

Lêda Maria Braga Tomitch has a Ph.D in English/Applied Linguistics from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, and is a professor at the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature and at the Graduate Program in English Language and Literature at this same university. She was a visiting scholar at the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University-USA. Her research interests lie on the following subjects: the relationship between working memory capacity and reading comprehension; the implementation of reading processes in the brain; and reading instruction.

Vanessa Kwan Lim, University of Auckland

Vanessa K Lim (Phd) held the following positions: Senior research Fellow and neuroimaging Manager at the department of Psychology, research Centre for Cognitive neuroscience, University of auckland, new zealand.  her main interests include focal hand dystonia, music perception and production, tonal language experiences and its interaction with music perception and amusia.

Karen E. Waldie, University of Auckland

Karen E. Waldie is currently an  associate Professor in the department of Psychology and  research Centre for Cognitive neuroscience at the University of auckland. her research is in the area of developmental neuropsychology and focuses on the neural bases, and long-term outcomes, of neurodevelopmental disorders such as dyslexia. her experimental work combines techniques from cognitive neuroscience (functional Magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography) and clinical neuropsychology. She received her bSc at the University of victoria and her MSc/Phd (1998) at the University of Calgary. She became a member of the University of auckland in 2001.  She is a member of numerous professional societies and has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

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Publicado

2012-12-24

Edição

n. 63 (2012): The Neuroscience of Reading

Seção

Artigos

Licença

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.