Can we record the valid visual mismatch negativity to a windmill pattern during auditory attention?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to record valid visual mismatch negativity (V-MMN) to a circular black–white windmill pattern. Seven adults were instructed to pay attention to a story through the earphones. The ratio of the standard (S), deviant (D) and target (T) stimuli was 8:1:1, and they appeared in a random sequence with inter-stimulus interval for 800 ms. The difference among the three stimuli was the number of vanes. ERPs were recorded from 20 sites over the scalp. The number of vanes in each stimulus was systematically changed to observe the relationship among the ERPs to the S, D and T stimuli. P300 was only obtained in response to the T stimulus. A negative potential appeared during the period of 150–300 ms after the stimulus onset by subtracting the ERPs to the S stimulus from those of the D stimulus. This negativity was distributed over the occipito-temporal region. Characteristics of this negativity were similar to those of auditory MMN. V-MMN in our study consisted of early (150–200 ms, MMN1) and late (200–300 ms, MMN2) components. The magnitudes of MMN1 and MMN2 were not altered with varying the D and T stimuli. However, the peak latency of MMN2 was significantly altered with varying the D stimuli, but not MMN1. Therefore, valid V-MMN can be recorded by the windmill patterns during auditory attention.