EEG Signal Analysis for the Detection of Spoken Language Comprehension

Abstract

The human brain performs a series of complex processing steps to translate spoken language from mere sound into meaning. In this article, through the analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, we try to identify those areas in which there is a substantial difference in brain activity when different languages are sought aiming at the detection of language comprehension. For this purpose, a set of sentences, both in their native and a foreign language, have been presented to various individuals. Following previous works, we defined an analysis window to determinate whether the language presented is understood or not. Within the analysis window, in the first phase, a couple of evoked potentials (ERPs) are expected, showing a positive discrimination of language, followed by fluctuations of ERPs in a second-phase window depending on subject intelligibility of the language presented.