Neural Correlates of Processing Syntax in Music and ... - PubMan

Experiment I 101
EAD
Figure 9-2 Grand-average ERP waveforms in the subgroup in which the supertonics were used as
irregular chords. ERPs elicited by the final chords. Black solid lines indicate potentials elicited
by regular (tonic) chords, black dotted lines responses to irregular chords (supertonics).
Red solid lines represent the difference wave (regular subtracted from irregular chords). The
evaluated ERP components are indicated by the arrows: ERAN, N5, and early acoustic difference
(EAD).
tion × hemisphere (F(1,54) = 3.55, p = 0.065) was approaching significance. It presuma-
bly reflects the stronger ERAN amplitude in the right hemisphere.
A further analysis evaluated, whether the ERAN remained significant when the children
that were at-risk for language impairment were excluded. 43 children were classified to
be not at-risk for language impairment; these were included in the analysis. An ANOVA
with the same within-subject and between-subjects factors as the first analysis revealed
an interaction of chord function × hemisphere × subgroup (F(1,41) = 7.48, p = 0.009). It
reflects the variable lateralization of the ERAN in the two experimental paradigms (see
above; the difference in the response to the Neapolitan sixth chords compared to the
tonics was more strongly right lateralized than the difference between the supertonics
and the tonics).
N5: The ERAN is (in adults and older children) usually followed by an N5 taken to
reflect processes of harmonic integration (cf. Koelsch, 2005). Descriptively, almost no
difference was found in the ERP response to the irregular compared to the regular
chords in this time window (left-anterior: M = 0.32 μV, SEM = 0.36 μV; right-anterior:
M = 0.23 μV, SEM = 0.32 μV; the differences at posterior sites were smaller). In accordance,
an ANOVA did not reveal any effects or interactions with chord function.
ERAN
N5