Adrián Poblano1, Eduardo Castro-Sierra2, Carmina Arteaga3, Santiago J Pérez-Ruiz4. 1. Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Cognoscitiva, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, México D.F., México. Electronic address: drdislexia@yahoo.com.mx. 2. Laboratorio de Psicoacústica, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, México D.F., México. 3. Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Cognoscitiva, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, México D.F., México. 4. Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Zapotec is a language used mainly in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico of tonal characteristic; homophone words with difference in fundamental frequency with different meanings. Our objective was to analyze changes in the electroencephalographic (EEG) theta rhythm during word discrimination of lexical tonal bi-syllabic homophone word samples of Zapotec. METHODS: We employed electroencephalography analysis during lexical tonal discrimination in 12 healthy subjects 9-16 years of age. RESULTS: We observed an increase in theta relative power between lexical discrimination and at rest eyes-open state in right temporal site. We also observed several significant intra- and inter-hemispheric correlations in several scalp sites, mainly in left fronto-temporal and right temporal areas when subjects were performing lexical discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest more engagement of neural networks of the right hemisphere are involved in Zapotec language discrimination.
BACKGROUND: Zapotec is a language used mainly in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico of tonal characteristic; homophone words with difference in fundamental frequency with different meanings. Our objective was to analyze changes in the electroencephalographic (EEG) theta rhythm during word discrimination of lexical tonal bi-syllabic homophone word samples of Zapotec. METHODS: We employed electroencephalography analysis during lexical tonal discrimination in 12 healthy subjects 9-16 years of age. RESULTS: We observed an increase in theta relative power between lexical discrimination and at rest eyes-open state in right temporal site. We also observed several significant intra- and inter-hemispheric correlations in several scalp sites, mainly in left fronto-temporal and right temporal areas when subjects were performing lexical discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest more engagement of neural networks of the right hemisphere are involved in Zapotec language discrimination.