[Brain mechanisms of the semantic analysis of words-homonyms].

The brain mechanisms of semantic comprehension of a word were comparatively studied in three experimental conditions: simple perception of the nuclear value of a word-homonym determined by the preceding context, perception of its circumferential value, and during active semantic analysis of these values. It was shown that the amplitude of the evoked potential component P200 was correlated with complexity of the semantic analysis. A decrease in this amplitude under conditions of complication of semantic problem was associated with an increase in the activities of the caudate nucleus and hippocampus and a parallel slight decrease in the activity of cortical areas.