ERP topographic analyses from concept to articulation in word production studies

Most ERP studies using overt speech production tasks have analyzed fixed time-windows of stimulus-aligned ERPs, not exceeding the fastest production latency. These fixed ERP time-windows may cover the whole speech planning process for fast trials or participants, but only part of the planning processes for trials or participants with production latencies exceeding the analyzed period. Two core questions thus emerge when analysing fixed time-windows in overt language production, namely (1) to what extent do ERPs capture “later” encoding processes, especially phonological and phonetic encoding, and (2) how to account for different production latencies across conditions or individuals. Here we review a methodological approach combining waveform and topographic analyses on integrated stimulus- and response-aligned ERPs according to response latencies in each participant and condition. Then we illustrate the approach with a picture naming task. Crucially for the purpose of the methodological illustration, the separate analysis of fixed stimulus- and response-locked ERPs led to a counter-intuitive result (longer lasting periods of stable global electrophysiological activity for the fastest condition). Coherent results with longer lasting periods of topographic stability in the slower condition only appeared when combining stimulus- and response-aligned ERPs in order to cover the actual word planning time-windows. Thus this combined analysis enabled to disentangle the possible interpretations of the neurophysiological processes underlying differences across conditions observed on waveforms and on topographies in the fixed ERP periods.