Dynamic movement of N100m current sources in auditory evoked fields: Comparison of ipsilateral versus contralateral responses in human auditory cortex

Abstract

We recorded auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEFs) to monaural 400 Hz tone bursts and investigated spatio-temporal features of the N100m current sources in the both hemispheres during the time before the N100m reaches at the peak strength and 5 ms after the peak. A hemispheric asymmetry was evaluated as the asymmetry index based on the ratio of N100m peak dipole strength between right and left hemispheres for either ear stimulation. The results of asymmetry indices showed right-hemispheric dominance for left ear stimulation but no hemispheric dominance for right ear stimulation. The current sources for N100m in both hemispheres in response to monaural 400 Hz stimulation moved toward anterolateral direction along the long axis of the Heschl gyri during the time before it reaches the peak strength; the ipsilateral N100m sources were located slightly posterior to the contralateral N100m ones. The onset and peak latencies of the right hemispheric N100m in response to right ear stimulation are shorter than those of the left hemispheric N100m to left ear stimulation. The traveling distance of the right hemispheric N100m sources following right ear stimulation was longer than that for the left hemispheric ones following left ear stimulation. These results suggest the right-dominant hemispheric asymmetry in pure tone processing.