Now you feel it-now you don't: ERP correlates of somatosensory awareness

We investigated correlates of somatosensory awareness for supratheshold stimuli using event‐related potentials in a masking paradigm: Conscious perception of a weak, but suprathreshold “target” stimulus was suppressed in a significant number of trials when followed by a higher‐intensity “mask” stimu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychophysiology 2006-01, Vol.43 (1), p.31-40
Main Authors: Schubert, Ruth, Blankenburg, Felix, Lemm, Steven, Villringer, Arno, Curio, Gabriel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Awareness - physiology
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Electric Stimulation
Electroencephalography
Evoked Potentials - physiology
Female
Frontoparietal network
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Male
Masking
Neurology
Perceptions
Perceptual awareness
Physiological psychology
Primary somatosensory cortex
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Sensation - physiology
Sensory perception
Sensory Thresholds - physiology
Somatosensory event-related potentials
Spatial attention
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Summary:We investigated correlates of somatosensory awareness for supratheshold stimuli using event‐related potentials in a masking paradigm: Conscious perception of a weak, but suprathreshold “target” stimulus was suppressed in a significant number of trials when followed by a higher‐intensity “mask” stimulus. ERPs were compared for trials with perceived versus unperceived target stimuli. Early ERPs (P60, N80), generated in the contralateral S1, were found independent of stimulus perception. In contrast, for consciously perceived target stimuli, amplitude enhancements were observed for the P100 and N140. Thus, early activation of S1 is not sufficient to warrant conscious stimulus perception. Conscious stimulus processing differs significantly from unconscious processing starting around 100 ms after stimulus presentation when the signal is processed in parietal and frontal cortices, brain regions crucial for stimulus access into conscious perception.
ISSN:0048-5772
1469-8986
1540-5958
DOI:10.1111/j.1469-8986.2006.00379.x