Fast acquisition of full-range auditory event-related potentials using an interleaved deconvolution approach

Abstract

This work relates to recent advances in the field of auditory event-related potentials (ERP), specifically deconvolution-based ERP acquisition and single-trial processing. An efficient stimulus sequence optimization method for ERP deconvolution is proposed, achieving consistent noise attenuation within a broad designated frequency range. Furthermore, a stimulus presentation paradigm for the fast, interleaved acquisition of auditory brainstem, middle-latency and late responses featuring alternating periods of high-rate deconvolution sequences, and subsequent low-rate stimulation is investigated in 20 normal hearing subjects. Deconvolved sequence responses containing early and middle-latency ERP components are fused with subsequent late responses using a time-frequency resolved weighted averaging method based on cross-trial regularity, yielding a uniform signal-to-noise ratio of the full-range auditory ERP across investigated timescales. Obtained average ERP waveforms exhibit morphologies consistent with both literature values and reference recordings acquired in 15 normal hearing subjects using a prior art approach to full-range auditory ERP acquisition, with all prominent waves being visible in the grand average waveforms. Results suggest the proposed interleaved stimulus presentation and associated ERP processing methodology to be suitable for the fast, reliable extraction of full-range auditory processing correlates in future ERP studies.

Fifty Years After: The N1 Effect Travels Down to the Brainstem

“…With α = 650, f 0 = 500Hz, and φ 0 = −π we obtain a positive deflection at 100ms in the θ frequency band resembling the N1 wave and the full–range ERP frequency behavior, see [32, 33]. The rapid decay of ξ ( t ) with 1/ t is also reflected in Fig.…”

“…As full–range ERPs cover several spectrotemporal scales [32, 33], we employed a time– frequency analysis to map frequency specific signatures of top–down attention in the corresponding single–trial sequences making up the averaged ERPs to the chirp stimuli, see Fig. 2.…”