Hemispheric lateralization of the neural encoding of temporal speech features: a whole-head magnetencephalography study

Abstract

Using a passive oddball design (randomized series of standard [frequent] and deviant [rare] stimuli), the present study investigated the neural encoding of syllables differing in a duration parameter (/da/=short-lag voice onset time [VOT], /ta/=long-lag VOT) by means of whole-head magnetencephalography (MEG). Dipolar activities at the level of the supratemporal planes allowed to explain the evoked magnetic fields. The N1m/P2m-complex (magnetic equivalent to the N1/P2-wave of the electroencephalogram) in response to standard stimuli showed bilateral symmetric distribution. Furthermore, the latency of P2m significantly depended on VOT. Finally, the mismatch response to the deviant /da/-syllables—which represent in German a very frequent word (English: `here' or `there')— evolved significantly earlier in the left hemisphere as compared to the right side. In conclusion, processing speed may be an important aspect of the hemispheric specialization of language.