Modal and amodal cognition: an overarching principle in various domains of psychology.

Accounting for how the human mind represents the internal and external world is a crucial feature of many theories of human cognition. Central to this question is the distinction between modal as opposed to amodal representational formats. It has often been assumed that one but not both of these two types of representations underlie processing in specific domains of cognition (e.g., perception, mental imagery, and language). However, in this paper, we suggest that both formats play a major role in most cognitive domains. We believe that a comprehensive theory of cognition requires a solid understanding of these representational formats and their functional roles within and across different domains of cognition, the developmental trajectory of these representational formats, and their role in dysfunctional behavior. Here we sketch such an overarching perspective that brings together research from diverse subdisciplines of psychology on modal and amodal representational formats so as to unravel their functional principles and their interactions.

Regenerative Medicine: Pharmacological Considerations and Clinical Role in Pain Management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Low back pain affects at least 80% of individuals at some point in their lifetime and is the fifth most common reason for physician visits in the USA. Treatment of an acute episode of LBP generally includes rest, activity modification, physical therapy, NSAIDs, and patient education. RECENT FINDINGS: A small percentage of patients will develop chronic pain lasting > 6 months duration. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is one of the main pillars of regenerative medicine, as its release of bioactive proteins supports the aim of RM of restoring the anatomical function in degenerative conditions. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells, multipotent progenitor cells, or marrow stromal cells found in various body tissues, including bone marrow, lung, and adipose tissue. Evidence from well-designed case-control or cohort studies for the use of PRP and MSCs in lumbar facet joint, lumbar epidural, and sacroiliac joint injections is currently described as level IV evidence. PRP and MSCs are used autogenously to help facilitate the healing process, and their injection has been studied in the long-term management of discogenic low back pain. PRP has been compared to steroid injections in the sacroiliac joint for chronic low back pain, with favorable results. MSCs have also been shown to be useful in intervertebral disc regeneration and treatment of chronic low back pain associated with degenerative disc disease. Currently, the price for these treatments is extremely high, and thus the standard of care continues to be steroid injections and other treatments. This could change, however, with more robust data and research on the safety and long-term efficacy of biologics compared to other interventional management.

Ongoing Sign Processing Facilitates Written Word Recognition in Deaf Native Signing Children.

Signed and written languages are intimately related in proficient signing readers. Here, we tested whether deaf native signing beginning readers are able to make rapid use of ongoing sign language to facilitate recognition of written words. Deaf native signing children (mean 10 years, 7 months) received prime target pairs with sign word onsets as primes and written words as targets. In a control group of hearing children (matched in their reading abilities to the deaf children, mean 8 years, 8 months), spoken word onsets were instead used as primes. Targets (written German words) either were completions of the German signs or of the spoken word onsets. Task of the participants was to decide whether the target word was a possible German word. Sign onsets facilitated processing of written targets in deaf children similarly to spoken word onsets facilitating processing of written targets in hearing children. In both groups, priming elicited similar effects in the simultaneously recorded event related potentials (ERPs), starting as early as 200 ms after the onset of the written target. These results suggest that beginning readers can use ongoing lexical processing in their native language - be it signed or spoken - to facilitate written word recognition. We conclude that intimate interactions between sign and written language might in turn facilitate reading acquisition in deaf beginning readers.

No Evidence of Robust Noun-Referent Associations in German-Learning 6- to 14-Month-Olds.

Work with the looking-while-listening (LWL-) paradigm suggested that 6-month-old English-learning infants associated several labels for common nouns with pictures of their referents: While one distractor picture was present, infants systematically fixated the named target picture. However, recent work revealed constraints of infants' noun comprehension. The age at which these abilities can be obtained appears to relate to the infants' familiarity with the talker, the target language, and word frequency differences in target-distractor pairs. Here, we present further data to this newly established field of research. We tested 42 monolingual German-learning infants aged 6-14 months by means of the LWL-paradigm. Infants saw two pictures side-by-side on a screen, whilst an unfamiliar male talker named one of both. Overall, infants did not fixate the target picture more than the distractor picture. In line with previous results, infants' performance on the task was higher when target and distractor differed within their word frequency-as operationalized by the parental rating of word exposure. Together, our results add further evidence for constraints on early word learning. They point to cross-linguistic differences in early word learning and strengthen the view that infants might use extra-linguistic cues within the stimulus pairing, such as frequency imbalance, to disambiguate between two potential referents.

Phonemic Training Modulates Early Speech Processing in Pre-reading Children.

Phonemic awareness and rudimentary grapheme knowledge concurrently develop in pre-school age. In a training study, we tried to disentangle the role of both precursor functions of reading for spoken word recognition. Two groups of children exercised with phonemic materials, but only one of both groups learnt corresponding letters to trained phonemes. A control group exercised finger-number associations (non-linguistic training). After the training, we tested how sensitive children were to prime-target variation in word onset priming. A group of young adults took part in the same experiment to provide data from experienced readers. While decision latencies to the targets suggested fine-grained spoken word processing in all groups, event-related potentials (ERPs) indicated that both phonemic training groups processed phonemic variation in more detail than the non-linguistic training group and young adults at early stages of speech processing. Our results indicate temporal plasticity of implicit speech processing in pre-school age as a function of explicit phonemic training.

Naphthalene: irritative and inflammatory effects on the airways.

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study determined whether acute sensory irritative or (sub)chronic inflammatory effects of the eyes, nose or respiratory tract are observed in employees who are exposed to naphthalene at the workplace. METHODS: Thirtynine healthy and non-smoking male employees with either moderate (n = 22) or high (n = 17) exposure to naphthalene were compared to 22 male employees from the same plants with no or only rare exposure to naphthalene. (Sub)clinical endpoint measures included nasal endoscopy, smell sensitivity, self-reported work-related complaints and the intensity of naphthalene odor and irritation. In addition, cellular and soluble mediators in blood, nasal lavage fluid (NALF) and induced sputum (IS) were analysed. All measurements were carried out pre-shift on Monday and post-shift on Thursday. Personal air monitoring revealed naphthalene shift concentrations up to 11.6 mg/m3 with short-term peak concentrations up to 145.8 mg/m3 and 1- and 2-naphthol levels (sum) in post-shift urine up to 10.1 mg/L. RESULTS: Acute sensory irritating effects at the eyes and upper airways were reported to occur when directly handling naphthalene (e.g., sieving pure naphthalene). Generally, naphthalene odor was described as intense and unpleasant. Habituation effects or olfactory fatigue were not observed. Endoscopic examination revealed mild inflammatory effects at the nasal mucosa of exposed employees in terms of reddening and swelling and abnormal mucus production. No consistent pattern of cellular and soluble mediators in blood, NALF or IS was observed which would indicate a chronic or acute inflammatory effect of naphthalene in exposed workers. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that exposure to naphthalene induces acute sensory irritative effects in exposed workers. No (sub)chronic inflammatory effects on the nasal epithelium or the respiratory tract could be observed under the study conditions described here.

Activation of Literal Word Meanings in Idioms: Evidence from Eye-tracking and ERP Experiments.

How the language processing system handles formulaic language such as idioms is a matter of debate. We investigated the activation of constituent meanings by means of predictive processing in an eye-tracking experiment and in two ERP experiments (auditory and visual). In the eye-tracking experiment, German-speaking participants listened to idioms in which the final word was excised (Hannes let the cat out of the . . .). Well before the offset of these idiom fragments, participants fixated on the correct idiom completion (bag) more often than on unrelated distractors (stomach). Moreover, there was an early fixation bias towards semantic associates (basket) of the correct completion, which ended shortly after the offset of the fragment. In the ERP experiments, sentences (spoken or written) either contained complete idioms, or the final word of the idiom was replaced with a semantic associate or with an unrelated word. Across both modalities, ERPs reflected facilitated processing of correct completions across several regions of interest (ROIs) and time windows. Facilitation of semantic associates was only reliably evident in early components for auditory idiom processing. The ERP findings for spoken idioms compliment the eye-tracking data by pointing to early decompositional processing of idioms. It seems that in spoken idiom processing, holistic representations do not solely determine lexical processing.

(Mono-) Exposure to Naphthalene in the Abrasives Industry: Air Monitoring and Biological Monitoring.

Exposure to the bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbon naphthalene occurs in most cases along with other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Here we report from an investigation of 63 healthy, non-smoking male employees in the abrasives industry where naphthalene is the only relevant chemical exposure. Exposure assessment was performed using a combination of Air and Biological Monitoring over nearly a whole working week (Mo.-Th.). Air measurements were carried out during the shift on Thursday with the GGP mini-sampling system, combining particle and vapour sampling at low flow rates. In urine spot samples, the metabolites 1- and 2-naphthol were measured Mo.-Th. pre- and post-shift (for the reference group only Mo. pre- and Th. post-shift). With regard to naphthalene concentrations measured in air and concentrations of its metabolites (1- and 2-naphthol) in urine, study participants could be divided into a high and a low exposure group, and a reference group. The naphthalene concentration in air was in the range of 0.1-11.6 mg m-3, and naphthol concentrations (sum of 1- and 2-naphthol) in post-shift urine were in the range of <1 to 10 127 µg l-1. Naphthalene concentrations in air and naphthol concentrations in urine were closely correlated, indicating mainly airborne exposure at the investigated workplaces. As expected from toxicokinetic data, internal body burden increased slightly during a working week and did not completely decline over a work-free weekend to background concentrations observed in occupationally not exposed persons. Taking into account the observed increase in pre- and post-shift values during the working week, urine sampling for Biological Monitoring at workplaces should be carried out after several preceding shifts. Our data allow the derivation of biological limit values for the sum of 1- and 2-naphthol in urine corresponding to occupational exposure limits for naphthalene in air.

Obesity and Sex Affect the Immune Responses to Tick-Borne Encephalitis Booster Vaccination.

Obesity has dramatically increased over the last 30 years and reaches according to World Health Organization dimensions of a global epidemic. The obesity-associated chronic low-level inflammation contributes to severe comorbidities and directly affects many immune cells leading to immune dysfunction and increased susceptibility to infections. Thus, prophylaxis against vaccine-preventable diseases is crucial, yet the responsiveness to several vaccines is unclear under obesity. In order to assess the responsiveness to tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccine, we revaccinated 37 obese individuals and 36 normal-weight controls with a licensed TBE vaccine. Metabolic, hormonal, and immunologic profiles along with vaccine-specific humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated in sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) before, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 6 months after TBE booster. Obese adults had significantly increased metabolic (triglycerides, cholesterol ratios, leptin, insulin) and proinflammatory (C-reactive protein) parameters. They showed stronger initial increase of TBE-specific Ab titers (d7_d28) followed by a significantly faster decline after 6 months, which correlated with high body mass index and leptin and insulin levels. The fold increase of Ab-titer levels was significantly higher in obese compared to control males and linked to reduced testosterone levels. Obesity also affected cellular responses: PBMCs of the obese vaccinees had elevated interleukin 2 and interferon γ levels upon antigen stimulation, indicating a leptin-dependent proinflammatory TH1 polarization. The expansion of total and naive B cells in obese might explain the initial increase of Ab titers, whereas the reduced B-memory cell and plasma blast generation could be related to fast Ab decline with a limited maintenance of titers. Among T follicular helper cell (Tfh) cells, the Tfh17 subset was significantly expanded particularly in obese males, where we observed a strong initial Ab increase. Systemic but not local vaccine side effects were more frequent in obese subjects as a possible consequence of their low-grade proinflammatory state. In summary, TBE booster vaccination was effective in obese individuals, yet the faster Ab decline could result in a reduced long-term protection. The sex-based differences in vaccine responses indicate a complex interplay of the endocrine, metabolic, and immune system during obesity. Further studies on the long-term protection after vaccination are ongoing, and also evaluation of primary vaccination against TBE in obese individuals is planned. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04017052; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04017052.

Correction to: Bone Marrow Derived Pluripotent Cells are Pericytes which Contribute to Vascularization.

Please note the following errors in the original version.

ERP evidence for implicit L2 word stress knowledge in listeners of a fixed-stress language.

Languages with contrastive stress, such as English or German, distinguish some words only via the stress status of their syllables, such as "CONtent" and "conTENT" (capitals indicate a stressed syllable). Listeners with a fixed-stress native language, such as Hungarian, have difficulties in explicitly discriminating variation of the stress position in a second language (L2). However, Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) indicate that Hungarian listeners implicitly notice variation from their native fixed-stress pattern. Here we used ERPs to investigate Hungarian listeners' implicit L2 processing. In a cross-modal word fragment priming experiment, we presented spoken stressed and unstressed German word onsets (primes) followed by printed versions of initially stressed and initially unstressed German words (targets). ERPs reflected stress priming exerted by both prime types. This indicates that Hungarian listeners implicitly linked German words with the stress status of the primes. Thus, the formerly described explicit stress discrimination difficulty associated with a fixed-stress native language does not generalize to implicit aspects of L2 word stress processing.

Allergic patients with and without allergen-specific immunotherapy mount protective immune responses to tick-borne encephalitis vaccination in absence of enhanced side effects or propagation of their Th2 bias.

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases are caused by Th2-driven immune responses and their treatment with specific immunotherapy (SIT) leads to immunomodulation via IL10, TGF-ß and Th1/Tr1 shift. This phase IV, open-label clinical trial investigated whether allergies and SIT treatment influenced immune responses to routine vaccination. METHODS: We studied three groups: 49 allergic patients (allergic group), 21 allergic patients receiving maintenance doses of SIT (SIT group), and 49 non-allergic controls. All subjects received tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) booster vaccines and humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated after one week, four weeks and six months. RESULTS: The levels and kinetics of neutralizing TBE-specific antibodies, reflecting protection against TBE, were not significantly different in the three groups. The allergic group showed Th2 polarization pre-booster as indicated by increased TBE-specific IgG1 and elevated mitogen-induced IL5 production. Alum-adjuvanted TBE vaccine led to Th2 biased immune responses in the controls, but to no further enhancement of Th2 polarization in the allergic and SIT group. Furthermore, in the SIT group cellular parameters reflected the induction of immunomodulation due to increased Tregs, elevated baseline IL10 and lack of TBE-specific IL5. Importantly, these cellular regulatory responses did not limit the ability to mount sufficient TBE-specific antibodies after the booster. All groups tolerated the vaccine well with no exacerbation of allergic symptoms. CONCLUSION: TBE booster vaccinations were immunogenic and safe in both the allergic and SIT group and contributed to balanced immune responses. Our data indicate that all allergic patients, even when undergoing SIT, should be vaccinated without hesitation and at regular intervals according to standard recommendations. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02511535).

What determines the speed of speech recognition? Evidence from congenitally blind adults.

It is a matter of debate, whether and how improved auditory discrimination abilities enable speeded speech comprehension in congenitally blind adults. Previous research has concentrated on semantic and syntactic aspects of processing. Here we investigated phonologically mediated spoken word access processes by means of word onset priming. Blind adults and age- and gender-matched sighted adults listened to spoken word onsets (primes) followed by complete words (targets). Phonological overlap between primes and targets varied. Blind participants made faster lexical decision responses than sighted participants, yet their speeded responses were not restricted to phonologically overlapping trials. Furthermore, timing of Event Related Potential (ERP) results did not differ between blind and sighted participants. Together these results suggest that blind and sighted listeners are equally fast in implicit phonological encoding and lexical matching mechanisms. It appears that blind adults' speeded speech processing emerges when phonological analysis makes promising word candidates available for further processing. As one possible interpretation, we speculate that lexical selection processes in blind adults do not need to wait for information from the visual domain, while auditory-visual integration mechanisms are mandatorily implemented in speech recognition routines of sighted adults.

Enhancing engineered vascular networks in vitro and in vivo: The effects of IGF1 on vascular development and durability.

OBJECTIVES: Creation of functional, durable vasculature remains an important goal within the field of regenerative medicine. Engineered biological vasculature has the potential to restore or improve human tissue function. We hypothesized that the pleotropic effects of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) would enhance the engineering of capillary-like vasculature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The impact of IGF1 upon vasculogenesis was examined in in vitro cultures for a period of up to 40 days and as subcutaneous implants within immunodeficient mice. Co-cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in collagen-fibronectin hydrogels were supplemented with either recombinant IGF1 protein or genetically engineered cells to provide sustained IGF1. Morphometric analysis was performed on the vascular networks that formed in four concentrations of IGF1. RESULTS: IGF1 supplementation significantly enhanced de novo vasculogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Effects were long-term as they lasted the duration of the study period, and included network density, vessel length, and diameter. Bifurcation density was not affected. However, the highest concentrations of IGF1 tested were either ineffective or even deleterious. Sustained IGF1 delivery was required in vivo as the inclusion of recombinant IGF1 protein had minimal impact. CONCLUSION: IGF1 supplementation can be used to produce neovasculature with significantly enhanced network density and durability. Its use is a promising methodology for engineering de novo vasculature to support regeneration of functional tissue.

Tracking independence and merging of prosodic and phonemic processing across infancy.

Recent evidence suggests division of labor in phonological analysis underlying speech recognition. Adults and children appear to decompose the speech stream into phoneme-relevant information and into syllable stress. Here we investigate whether both speech processing streams develop from a common path in infancy, or whether there are two separate streams from early on. We presented stressed and unstressed syllables (spoken primes) followed by initially stressed early learned disyllabic German words (spoken targets). Stress overlap and phoneme overlap between the primes and the initial syllable of the targets varied orthogonally. We tested infants 3, 6 and 9 months after birth. Event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed stress priming without phoneme priming in the 3-month-olds; phoneme priming without stress priming in the 6-month-olds; and phoneme priming, stress priming as well as an interaction of both in 9-month-olds. In general the present findings reveal that infants start with separate processing streams related to syllable stress and to phoneme-relevant information; and that they need to learn to merge both aspects of speech processing. In particular the present results suggest (i) that phoneme-free prosodic processing dominates in early infancy; (ii) that prosody-free phoneme processing dominates in middle infancy; and (iii) that both types of processing are operating in parallel and can be merged in late infancy.

[Pregabalin as a rare cause of liver disease]. / Pregabalin als seltene Ursache einer Hepatopathie.

UNLABELLED: In this report we describe a patient who developed liver failure due to new administration of pregabaline. HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 76-year old woman was admitted with a sacral fracture after conservative treatment in a trauma surgery ward for further rehabilitative treatment. INVESTIGATIONS: At admittance the patient complaint of lower back pain. Physical examination revealed unsteadiness in walking tests. Laboratory tests revealed mildly elevated infection parameters (CRP 0.67 mg / dl) and alkaline phosphatase (191U / I). TREATMENT AND COURSE: Physical training was initiated. Multimodal therapy for pain was continued with tilidin / naloxon, which had been started at the trauma surgery ward. Due to persistent pain and its radicular nature additional pregabaline treatment was initiated. Ten days thereafter the patient developed nausea without vomiting and subsequently (day 15) jaundice. Blood examination revealed elevated liver enzymes (ALT 246U / I, AST 86U / I, GGT 2068U / I and bilirubine 6 mg / dl). Abdominal sonography and MRCP were normal. After discontinuation of pregabaline treatment nausea disappeared within several days and liver enzymes declined to normal values within several weaks. CONCLUSION: Pregabaline should be taken into account as cause of acute liver failure.

Persistence of antibodies six years after booster vaccination with inactivated vaccine against Japanese encephalitis.

BACKGROUND: Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus occurs in wide regions of Asia with over 3 billion people living in areas at risk for JE. An estimated 68,000 clinical cases of JE occur every year, and vaccination is the most effective prophylactic measure. One internationally licensed vaccine containing the inactivated JE virus strain SA14-14-2 is Ixiaro (Valneva, Austria). According to recommendations, basic immunization consists of vaccinations on day 0, day 28, and a booster dose 12-24 months later. Protection in terms of neutralizing antibody titers has been assessed up to 12 months after the third dose of the vaccine. The current investigation was designed to evaluate antibody decline over time and to predict long-term duration of seroprotection after a booster dose. METHOD: In a preceding trial, volunteers received basic immunization (day 0, day 28) and one booster dose against JE 15 months later. A follow up blood draw 6 years following their booster dose was carried out in 67 subjects. For antibody testing, a 50% plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT50-test) was used. PRNT50 values of 10 and above are surrogate levels of protection according to WHO standards. RESULT: Seventy-six months following the booster dose, 96% of the tested subjects had PRNT50 titers of 10 or higher. Geometric mean titer (GMT) was 148 (95% CI confidence interval: 107-207). Antibody titers were lower in volunteers 50 years of age and older. Vaccination history against other flaviviruses (yellow fever or tick borne encephalitis) did not significantly influence PRNT50 titers. A two-step log-linear decline model predicted protection against JE of approximately 14 years after the booster dose. CONCLUSION: Six years after a booster dose against JE, long-term protection could be demonstrated. According to our results, further booster doses should be scheduled 10 years following the first booster dose.

How space-number associations may be created in preliterate children: six distinct mechanisms.

The directionality of space-number association (SNA) is shaped by cultural experiences. It usually follows the culturally dominant reading direction. Smaller numbers are generally associated with the starting side for reading (left side in Western cultures), while larger numbers are associated with the right endpoint side. However, SNAs consistent with cultural reading directions are present before children can actually read and write. Therefore, these SNAs cannot only be shaped by the direction of children's own reading/writing behavior. We propose six distinct processes - one biological and five cultural/educational - underlying directional SNAs before formal reading acquisition: (i) Brain lateralization, (ii) Monitoring adult reading behavior, (iii) Pretend reading and writing, and rudimentary reading and writing skills, (iv) Dominant attentional directional preferences in a society, not directly related to reading direction, (v) Direct spatial-numerical learning, (vi) Other spatial-directional processes independent of reading direction. In this mini-review, we will differentiate between these processes, elaborate when in development they might emerge, discuss how they may create the SNAs observed in preliterate children and propose how they can be studied in the future.

Development and field testing of a miniaturized sampling system for simultaneous sampling of vapours and droplets.

The sampling of semi volatiles (SV) in workplaces may lead to different results as measurements may be affected by sampling bias. The new European Standard EN 13936 defines "semi-volatiles" as substances with vapour pressures in the range between 0.001 and 100 Pa at room temperature. EN 13936 regulates the basic requirements for SV compounds that can occur as vapour and particle at the same time. Vapour and particles shall not be sampled separately and particles have to be sampled as inhalable fraction. Following EN 13936, the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Institut für Arbeitsschutz - IFA) has developed a miniaturized droplet-vapour sampler (GGP-Mini) which is designed to sample the inhalable aerosol fraction at low flow rates. The GGP-Mini uses 13 mm filters for particle sampling combined with adsorption tubes for vapour sampling. Laboratory tests were performed on 11 polar and non-polar compounds in a boiling point range from 188 °C to 318 °C. The substances were spiked directly on the filter followed by aspiration of 40 litres of air. Substances with boiling points below 230 °C were almost completely evaporated. Substances with boiling points above 230 °C up to 300 °C were found on both filter and charcoal tube. Lower-volatile compounds remained almost completely on the filter. For polar substances, the atmospheric humidity had a considerable influence upon the distribution of the liquid and vaporous components. A strong influence of the sampling temperature was found in the range from 0 °C to 50 °C. Droplet-vapour mixtures of n-hexadecane and diethylene glycol with droplet sizes between 1 µm and 4 µm were generated in a flow tube to verify the laboratory results. The aerosol concentrations were analysed on-line with a particle sizer and a flame ionisation detector, while parallel off-line samples were taken with the GGP-Mini. Evaporation losses from filters could be studied by comparing the on-line with off-line measurements. All sampling simulations, both spiking and tests on a droplet aerosol, have shown that the distribution between vapour and droplets is not constant and influenced e. g. by volatility, concentration, temperature and humidity. Only the sum of vapour and droplets constitutes a reproducible result.

Phoneme-free prosodic representations are involved in pre-lexical and lexical neurobiological mechanisms underlying spoken word processing.

Recently we reported that spoken stressed and unstressed primes differently modulate Event Related Potentials (ERPs) of spoken initially stressed targets. ERP stress priming was independent of prime-target phoneme overlap. Here we test whether phoneme-free ERP stress priming involves the lexicon. We used German target words with the same onset phonemes but different onset stress, such as MANdel ("almond") and manDAT ("mandate"; capital letters indicate stress). First syllables of those words served as primes. We orthogonally varied prime-target overlap in stress and phonemes. ERP stress priming did neither interact with phoneme priming nor with the stress pattern of the targets. However, polarity of ERP stress priming was reversed to that previously obtained. The present results are evidence for phoneme-free prosodic processing at the lexical level. Together with the previous results they reveal that phoneme-free prosodic representations at the pre-lexical and lexical level are recruited by neurobiological spoken word recognition.