Event-related potentials and semantics: An overview and an integrative proposal

Event-related potentials have shown to be a valuable tool when studying lan guage processing. In this review we focus on the literature that deals with semantic processing. Thus, we review studies concerning the classic semant ic-related ERP component, the N400, those concerning the recently described recognition potential (RP), and studies that have attempted to identify br ain activations related to semantic processing without focusing on specific ERP components. From the available data we provide an integrative proposal . According to this proposal, ERPs are clear indexes of the three subproces ses presumably involved in semantic comprehension. ERPs would provide, addi tionally, information about the time course of such subprocesses. (C) 2001 Academic Press.