Abstract: The N170 component is the first specific component in words processing. Recently, many studies focused on the sensitivity and lateralization of N170 component in visual words processing. This relatively specialized ERP component was believed to be associated with orthographic processing in many studies, while quite a few of studies reported that the N170 component was influenced by semantic and phonological processing. Moreover, the strong left-lateralized N170 response to visual words has been well demonstrated in ERP studies of the skilled alphabetic readers. Interestingly, many development studies of the N170 elicited by the alphabetic scripts were investigated the specialization of this component, and the studies of N170 component in different scripts were also important to understand the nature of words processing. Based on the review of the studies on N170 component, the researches may be addressed the diversified functions of it in future.

Key words: words processing, N170, sensitivity, lateralization