Instruction differentiates the processing of temporal and spatial sequential patterns: evidence from slow wave activity in humans

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 265; no. 1; pp. 1 - 4
• Main Author: Schubotz, Ricarda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 09.04.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Mapping; Electroencephalography; Electrophysiology; Event-related potential; Evoked Potentials, Visual - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Go/no-go paradigm; Humans; Male; Mental Processes - physiology; Models, Educational; Photic Stimulation; Prefrontal cortex; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Reference Values; Rhythm; Short-term memory; Slow cortical potential; Space Perception - physiology; Spatial sequences; Temporal sequences; Event-related potential; Temporal sequences; Short-term memory; Rhythm; Spatial sequences; Slow cortical potential; Prefrontal cortex; Go/no-go paradigm; Short term; Human; Memory; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Slow potential; Space perception; Time perception; Visual stimulus; Choice reaction time; Information processing; Event evoked potential; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(99)00152-4

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while subjects monitored a visually presented sequence of stimuli that provided information about both a temporal pattern (rhythm) and a spatial pattern, and responded to rhythmical or spatial deviants. A third task, which required the monitoring of the same sequence for screen flickers served as a perceptual baseline condition and controlled for response preparation effects. The monitoring of temporal and spatial sequential information elicited negative slow potentials (SPs) over distinct topographical areas. Thus, attention to the temporal and to the spatial domain of one and the same stimulus sequence are reflected by distinct ERP components, providing evidence for distinct cortical sources.