20 Aug
1994
20 Aug
'94
4:51 a.m.
Pulvermueller et al: BRAIN RHYTHMS, CELL ASSEMBLIES AND COGNITION
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Fast periodic brain responses have been investigated in various
mammals, humans included. Although most neuroscientists agree on the
importance of these processes, it is not at all clear what role they
play in cortical and subcortical processing. Are they simply a
byproduct of perceptual processes, or do they play a role in what can
be called higher or cognitive processing in the brain? We tried to
answer this question by performing experiments in which spectral
responses to meaningful words and physically similar but meaningless
pseudowords were recorded from the human cortex. The result,
differential 30-Hz responses to these stimuli, is interpreted in the
framework of a Hebbian cell assembly theory. We hope that both the
results and the brain-theoretic approach will stimulate a fruitful
multidisciplinary discussion.
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psycoloquy.94.5.48.brain-rhythms.1.pulvermueller Friday 19 August 1994
ISSN 1055-0143 (30 paragraphs, 10 figs, 9 notes, 61 refs, 1203 lines)
PSYCOLOQUY is sponsored by the American Psychological Association (APA)
Copyright 1994 Friedemann Pulvermueller et al.
BRAIN RHYTHMS, CELL ASSEMBLIES AND COGNITION:
EVIDENCE FROM THE PROCESSING OF WORDS AND PSEUDOWORDS
Friedemann Pulvermueller (1)
Hubert Preissl (1)
Carsten Eulitz (2)
Christo Pantev (2)
Werner Lutzenberger (1)
Thomas Elbert (2)
Niels Birbaumer (1, 3)
(1) Institut fuer Medizinische Psychologie und
Verhaltensneurobiologie, Universitaet Tuebingen,
Gartenstrasse 29, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany
PUMUE(a)mailserv.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de
(2) Institut fuer Experimentelle Audiologie,
Universitaet Muenster, Kardinal von Galen-Ring 10,
48149 Muenster, Germany
(3) Universita degli Studi, Padova, Italy
ABSTRACT: In modern brain theory, cortical cell assemblies are
assumed to form the basis of higher brain functions such as form
and word processing. When gestures or words are produced and
perceived repeatedly by the infant, cell assemblies develop which
represent these building blocks of cognitive processing. This leads
to an obvious prediction: cell assembly activation ("ignition")
should take place upon presentation of items relevant for cognition
(e.g., words, such as "moon"), whereas no ignition should occur
with meaningless items (e.g., pseudowords, such as "noom"). Cell
assembly activity may be reflected by high-frequency brain
responses, such as synchronous oscillations or rhythmic
spatiotemporal activity patterns in which large numbers of neurons
participate. In recent MEG and EEG experiments, differential
gamma-band responses of the human brain were observed upon
presentation of words and pseudowords. These findings are
consistent with the view that fast coherent and rhythmic activation
of large neuronal assemblies takes place with word but not
pseudowords.
KEYWORDS: brain theory, cell assembly, cognition, event related
potentials (ERP), electroencephalograph (EEG), gamma band, Hebb,
language, lexical processing, magnetoencephalography (MEG),
psychophysiology, periodicity, power spectral analysis, synchrony
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