The role of theta and alpha oscillations for language comprehension in the human electroencephalogram

The hypothesis is tested, whether increasing language processing demands draw on the capacity of working memory thereby leading to an increase In theta band power. Previous research has shown that theta reflects working memory whereas upper alpha semantic memory demands. Sentences were presented in four chunks in a reading and a semantic task. In the latter, subjects had to find a superordinate concept to a noun presented in the third chunk. The data show an increase in theta during sentence processing which was significantly smaller in the semantic task. In contrast, the upper alpha band exhibited a significantly larger change in band power during the semantic task and that time window in which subjects searched for the superordinate concept. Thus, we conclude that semantic processing does not draw selectively on the capacity of working memory and that different linguistic processes have no direct influence on theta oscillations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.