Spectral dynamics of electroencephalographic activity during auditory information processing

Dynamics of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during auditory information processing were evaluated in response to changes in stimulus complexity, stimulus discriminability and attention using the oddball paradigm. In comparison to pre-stimulus baseline conditions, auditory stimulation synchron...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hearing research 2003-02, Vol.176 (1), p.25-41
Main Authors: Cacace, Anthony T, McFarland, Dennis J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Auditory Perception - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Cortical Synchronization
Discrimination (Psychology)
Ear and associated structures. Auditory pathways and centers. Hearing. Vocal organ. Phonation. Sound production. Echolocation
Electroencephalography
Event-related brain dynamics
Event-related desynchronization
Event-related synchronization
Evoked Potentials
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Male
Mental Processes - physiology
Middle Aged
Psychophysics
Reaction Time
Spectral analysis
Time domain analysis
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
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Summary:Dynamics of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during auditory information processing were evaluated in response to changes in stimulus complexity, stimulus discriminability and attention using the oddball paradigm. In comparison to pre-stimulus baseline conditions, auditory stimulation synchronized EEG activity in delta, theta and alpha frequency bands. Event-related synchronization (ERS) effects were greatest at approximately 3 Hz (theta frequency band), and their magnitude depended on stimulus and task demands. Event-related desynchronization (ERD) of EEG activity was observed in the beta frequency band. This effect was greatest at approximately 21 Hz but occurred only for easily discriminable stimuli in attention-related target conditions. Because active discrimination tasks also required a button-press response with the right hand, ERDs involved more complex responses that may be related to a combination of perceptual, motor and cognitive processes. These results demonstrate that oddball and attention-related EEG responses to auditory stimulation could be characterized in the frequency domain. The specific design and analysis features described herein may prove useful since they provide a simple index of the brain’s response to stimulation while at the same time provide powerful information not contained in typical time domain analysis.
ISSN:0378-5955
1878-5891
DOI:10.1016/S0378-5955(02)00715-3