Late visual and auditory ERP components and choice reaction time

Abstract

Some relations between different late positive ERP components and choice reaction time (RT) were studied. In order to identify the different components we used visual and auditory stimuli, as well as simple and choice reaction tasks, since one of the components is thought to be modality dependent and the other one task dependent. In the paradigm the stimulus modalities were mixed, which was expected to lead to a maximum dissociation of the components after auditory stimuli (Hohnsbein et al. (1991). Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 78, 438–446). The results demonstrated the overlap of two positive waves in choice reaction tasks: a central one (P-SR), and a parietal one (P-CR). The latency of the P-SR varied greatly across modalities, but did not vary with RT, whereas the latency of the P-CR varied strongly with RT. The different overlap of these components on fast and slow trials caused amplitude and latency variations of the “P300” and the positive slow wave. Our results suggest a relation of the P-SR with stimulus evaluation (identification), and of the P-CR with response selection (stimulus-response mapping).