Auditory stimulus intensity effects on components of the late positive complex

doi:10.1016/0013-4694(82)90155-9

Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology

Volume 54, Issue 2, August 1982, Pages 132-146

https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-4694(82)90155-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

Three groups of subjects were tested in experiments in which the late positive complex (LPC) was elicited by 50 msec white noise pips of various intensities. Principal Components Analysis was used to decompose event-related potential wave forms. In the first experiment noise pips were presented every 4 sec at intensities ranging from 55 to 115 dB SPL under 3 attention conditions: counting the stimuli, ignoring them, or performing a visual search task. Higher intensities produced larger blink, P190, P280 and P340 components. Attention affected blink, P190, P340 and slow wave (SW) components. In the second experiment stimulus intensity ranged in one run between 80 and 110 dB, the probability of the 110 dB stimulus being 0.25; in the other run, stimuli were always 110 dB. P310 was sensitive to both intensity and probability, while SW was affected only by probability. In the third experiment the habituation of the LPC and skin conductance response (SCR) to 115 dB noise pips presented at random intervals between 10 and 90 sec was examined over 62 trials. The amplitude of blink, N95 and P265 declined over trials, and SCR increased after an unexpected verbal message.

These results show that components of the LPC with latencies around 300 msec have both exogenous and endogenous properties. Only SW was completely independent of stimulus intensity in these experiments.

Résumé

Trois groupes de sujets ont subi un test dans lequel le complexe positif tardif (CPT) était induit par des ‘pips’ de bruit blanc de 50 msec et d'intensité variable. Une analyse en composantes principales a servi à décomposer les ondes des potentiels liés à l'événement. Dans la première expérience, les pips étaient présentés toutes les 4 sec à des intensités comprises entre 55 et 115 dB SPL avec 3 consignes différentes d'attention: compter les stimulus, les ignorer ou effectuer une tâche de recherche visuelle. Les intensités fortes ont produit des clignements palpébraux ainsi que des composantes P190, P280 et P340 plus importantes. Les clignements, les éléments P190, P340 ainsi que les ondes lentes (OL) étaient affectés par l'attention. Dans le second volet expérimental, l'intensité du stimulus était dans une même série comprise entre 80 et 110 dB, la probabilité du stimulus à 110 dB étant de 0,25. Dans une autre série le stimulus était toujours de 110 dB. La composante P310 s'est montrée sensible à la fois à l'intensité et à la probabilité, alors que la composante d'onde lente n'était affectée que par la probabilité. Dans la troisième expérience, l'habituation du CPT et de la réponse de conductance cutanée (CEC) à des pips de 115 dB présentés à des intervalles aléatoires entre 10 et 90 sec ont été examinées sur 62 essais. L'amplitude des clignements, celles de N95 et de P265 diminuaient au cours des essais, la CEC augmentait après un message verbal inattendu.

Ces résultats montrent que les composantes du CPT dont les latences se situent autour de 300 msec ont des propriétés à la fois exogènes et endogènes. Seule l'onde lente est complètement indépendante de l'intensité du stimulus dans ces expériences.

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A small SW1 component showed no intensity effects either globally, or in its defining topography. Finally, a SW2 component similar to the Classic SW with frontal negativity and parietal positivity (see Donchin et al., 1975; Friedman et al., 1981; García-Larrea and Cézanne-Bert, 1998; Loveless et al., 1987; Picton and Stuss, 1980; Roth et al., 1978, 1982, 1984; Ruchkin and Sutton, 1983; Ruchkin et al., 1980a, 1980b; Spencer et al., 2001; Squires et al., 1975), and similar to SW2 in Study 1, showed no significant change in its defining topography with stimulus intensity. The most surprising of these results are the near-significant decrease in global P1 and significant decrease in global nP3 with increased stimulus intensity (see corresponding statistics and shading in Table 3), and the lack of significant response increases in N2 (p = .648, two-tailed), P3b (p = .327, one-tailed), SW1 (p = .151, two-tailed), and SW2 (p = .579, two-tailed), contrary to the general expectation of component increase with increased intensity; this will be returned to later.
Auditory stimulus intensity of innocuous tones is generally thought to have a direct effect on the amplitude of ERP components, but these effects have rarely been explored across a wide component range, or in multiple paradigms. Here we investigate component sensitivity to stimulus intensity differences in two studies. Study 1 (N = 36) employed a between-participants paradigm in which repeated trains of standard stimuli were presented as 50 or 80 dB SPL 1000 Hz tones. Study 2 (N = 18) used a within-participant presentation of alternating 60 and 80 dB SPL 1000 Hz tones. Electrode caps with 19 channels (referred to linked ears) generated ERPs covering the first 600 ms of each participant's EEG responses; these were submitted to separate temporal PCAs in each study. A similar series of components was obtained in each study: P1, N1a, N1b, N1c, P2, P3a, P3b, nP3, SW1, and SW2; an N2 was found in Study 2 only. Loud tones in Study 1 produced greater amplitudes in all components except SW1. In Study 2, Loud cf. Soft tones produced smaller P1 and nP3, larger N1 components, P2, and P3a, with no effect on N2, P3b, SW1 or SW2. These results indicate similar sequential processes underlying sensory processing in one- and two-stimulus paradigms, with the later stimulus intensity effects varying with paradigm.
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The HabP3 should decrement with trials (Barry et al., 2011; MacDonald and Barry, 2014; Rushby et al., 2005; Rushby and Barry, 2009; but not Barry et al., 2013), show recovery independent of intensity (MacDonald and Barry, 2014; Rushby et al., 2005), and possibly dishabituation (MacDonald and Barry, 2014; Rushby et al., 2005). The SW has been associated with the OR (Loveless and Sandford, 1974), so consequently should demonstrate trial effects (MacDonald and Barry, 2014; Rushby et al., 2005; Zimmer and Demmel, 2000; but not Barry et al., 2011, 2013), but no response recovery is expected at these very long ISIs (MacDonald and Barry, 2014), nor intensity effects (Roth et al., 1982, 1984; Rushby et al., 2005). The present study consolidates and logically extends the investigation of novelty in the OR context by MacDonald and Barry (2014) and Barry et al. (2013) where novelty and intensity were manipulated in a habituation paradigm; as well as addressing the paucity of studies employing ‘genuine’ dishabituation paradigms.
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^☆: This research was supported by the Medical Research Service of the Veterans Administration.

^†: We thank Ray Johnson, Jr., Connie C. Duncan-Johnson, Judith M. Ford and Adolf Pfefferbaum for their suggestions in designing these experiments. Margaret J. Rosenbloom has made helpful comments on a draft of this paper. Karen S. Haney, Andrew F. Kelly and David S. Theis helped in the data analysis.

²: Present address: Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

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Auditory stimulus intensity effects on components of the late positive complexEffet de l'intensité du stimulus auditif sur les composantes du complexe positif tardif☆

Abstract

Résumé

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Biol. Psychol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Differential contributions of blinks and vertical eye movements as artifacts in EEG recording

Psychophysiology

Prevalence and methods of control of the cephalic skin potential artifact

Psychophysiology