Brain potentials and time estimation in humans

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 231; no. 2; pp. 63 - 66
• Main Authors: Johannes, Sönke, Kube, Claudia, Wieringa, Bernardina M, Matzke, Mike, Münte, Thomas F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 08.08.1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - physiology; Contingent negative variation; DC shift; Electrophysiology; Event-related brain potentials; Evoked Potentials - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reaction time; Time perception; Time Perception - physiology; DC shift; Reaction time; Event-related brain potentials; Contingent negative variation; Time perception; Human; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Event evoked potential; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(97)00529-6

Several parameters of the event-related potential (ERP) were assessed while 12 healthy volunteers performed a time production task. Each trial consisted of a series of 20 flashes presented at regular intervals on a videomonitor (interval 768 ms). After these flashes the subjects had to estimate the time it would take for an additional five flashes and to press a button upon the 5th interval. ERPs were recorded from 19 electrodes with three effects being of interest: (1) possible emitted potentials at the times at which flashes had occurred, if the series had continued, (2) the ERP to probe flashes presented during the production period, and (3) the slow potential shift during the estimation period. In addition reaction times were recorded. While ERP effects (1) and (2) were not informative with respect to time estimation processes, the slow potential shift with a frontopolar distribution appears to index time-keeping functions in humans.