Buzzwords

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01924.x
• Publication Date: 2007-06-16T13:56:11Z
• Authors: Johanna Kissler; Cornelia Herbert; Peter Peyk; Markus Junghofer
• Keywords: Salience (neuroscience); Emotional valence

Electroencephalographic event-related brain potentials were recorded as subjects read, without further instruction, consecutively presented sequences of words. We varied the speed at which (3 Hz and 1 Hz) words' emotional significance. Early cortical responses during reading differentiated pleasant unpleasant words from neutral Emotional associated with enhanced arising in predominantly left occipito-temporal areas 200 to 300 ms after presentation. also spontaneously better remembered than The early amplification was stable across 10 repetitions, providing evidence for robust enhancement visual processing stimuli learned significance underscoring salience connotations reading. During stages, emotion-related activity along dominant pathway is due arousal, rather valence stimuli. This may be driven by cortico-amygdaloid connections.