Event‐related potentials during a target discrimination task based on texture cue

Abstract

AbstractIn the current research, to elucidate cerebral processes having to do with target‐ground discrimination based on a texture cue in visual stimuli, the authors investigated the relationship between the target presentation area in the visual field and the reaction time required until discrimination. Also, they simultaneously measured the event‐related potentials (ERPs) during a target discrimination task at 63 locations on the scalp and then performed a spline Laplacian analysis to examine brain activities. The results clearly showed that a significant difference occurred in the reaction time depending on the area in which the target was presented. In addition, four distinct ERP components with different latencies accompanying execution of the discrimination task were observed. The spline Laplacian analysis of the ERPs indicated that the sources of the signals of these components were in the bilateral hemispheres of the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Considering the reaction time, the frontal activity observed after the latency of about 270 ms may mainly be involved in the target recognition. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 34(14): 34–43, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10397