Fast Detection of Unexpected Sound Intensity Decrements as Revealed by Human Evoked Potentials

Abstract

The detection of deviant sounds is a crucial function of the auditory system and is reflected by the automatically elicited mismatch negativity (MMN), an auditory evoked potential at 100 to 250 ms from stimulus onset. It has recently been shown that rarely occurring frequency and location deviants in an oddball paradigm trigger a more negative response than standard sounds at very early latencies in the middle latency response of the human auditory evoked potential. This fast and early ability of the auditory system is corroborated by the finding of neurons in the animal auditory cortex and subcortical structures, which restore their adapted responsiveness to standard sounds, when a rare change in a sound feature occurs. In this study, we investigated whether the detection of intensity deviants is also reflected at shorter latencies than those of the MMN. Auditory evoked potentials in response to click sounds were analyzed regarding the auditory brain stem response, the middle latency response (MLR) and the MMN. Rare stimuli with a lower intensity level than standard stimuli elicited (in addition to an MMN) a more negative potential in the MLR at the transition from the Na to the Pa component at circa 24 ms from stimulus onset. This finding, together with the studies about frequency and location changes, suggests that the early automatic detection of deviant sounds in an oddball paradigm is a general property of the auditory system.

Trials and intensity effects in single-trial ERP components and autonomic responses in a dishabituation paradigm with very long ISIs

“…The PCA-derived frontal component labelled Na was described as having a stronger association with stimulus rarity than target properties; probably rarity can be interchanged with novelty. Intensity effects have been reported for the Na-Pa complex (Althen et al, 2011), yet saturation occurs around 60 dB (Borgmann et al, 2001). Althen et al (2011) posited that the Na represented an early automatic deviant detection process, similar to the conclusion reached by Sonnadara et al (2006) -Cz reference.…”

“…Intensity effects have been reported for the Na-Pa complex (Althen et al, 2011), yet saturation occurs around 60 dB (Borgmann et al, 2001). Althen et al (2011) posited that the Na represented an early automatic deviant detection process, similar to the conclusion reached by Sonnadara et al (2006) -Cz reference. The Na in this study showed an anterior focus and a latency of 29 ms, longer than usually found (Neves et al, 2007), but this…”

“…See Table 1 for the stimulus-response pattern for PVC. peak latency between 20 and 30 ms (Althen et al, 2011).…”

“…MacDonald and found a factor of comparable topography and latency when novelty was varied but that factor was not investigated due to the very short latency and because middle-latency responses are not commonly linked to the OR. Middle-latency responses typically are marked by an anterior distribution (Althen et., 2011;McCallum et al, 1983 -noncephalic reference;Sonnadara et al, 2006) and characteristically elicited by click stimuli of short duration at fast presentation rates (Althen et al, 2011;Borgmann et al, 2001). McCallum et al…”

Working Memory Capacity and Visual–Verbal Cognitive Load Modulate Auditory–Sensory Gating in the Brainstem: Toward a Unified View of Attention

“…Similar attention-related changes of the ABR have also been shown (Althen, Grimm, & Escera, 2011;Hoormann, Falkenstein, & Hohnsbein, 1994;Galbraith & Arroyo, 1993;Bauer & Bayles, 1990), although some attempts have failed (Hirschhorn & Michie, 1990) and the effect appears to have a limited generality (Hoormann, Falkenstein, & Hohnsbein, 2000). In all, there is indication of attention-related top-down modulation (or suppression) of the auditory neural signal at precortical processing stages, although the results have been inconsistent.…”