Syntactic Language Processing among Women - An EEG/ERP Study of Visual Pictorial Stimuli

Language is one of the intelligent categories of cognitive function comprised grammar, syntax, formation, composition of phrases and sentences. Syntactic language processing with Wh-related questions are more complicated sentence pattern where difficulties might appear in specific groups to comprehend. However, we have investigated the neural correlates of syntactic Malay language processing among a group of women where the subjects would respond by pressing buttons in order to match the several binary visual pictorial stimuli with Wh-questions. There were simply two types of Wh-questions in this study, who subjects questions and which object questions. A high dense EEG sensor net was used to record the Event Related Potentials (ERP). N400 ERP component was extracted and analysed. Higher amplitude of N400 component was found significantly in the right hemisphere of the temporal - parietal region during which object question response indicating lateralized integrated semantic information and memory processing in the brain. To extend and compare this outcome, further work in the specific language impairment group and in the pregnancy group is our future plan.