Inter-stimulus Interval Effect on Tactile Habituation: An Electrophysiological Approach

Abstract

Objective: The current study aims to investigate different inter-stimulus interval effect on habituation process by using non-painful tactile stimuli. Methods: Twelve right-handed healthy volunteers (6 female; mean age: 22.9 ± 1.93 years) participated to the study. The electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded from 64 channels. Non-painful tactile stimuli (~140 kPa) were delivered to the right index finger via using a pneumatic stimulator. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) paradigm was used in all session. Inter-stimulus interval (ISI) was selected as 2s, 4s, and 8s and applied in separate sessions (as ISI2, ISI4 and ISI8). Results: Peak-to-peak maximum amplitudes of N2, P3 and N4 components were measured for three different ISI and for three different electrode sites (Fz, Cz, Pz). The 3x3 repeated measures ANOVA test was employed for statistical analysis. According to the analysis, a significant inter-stimulus interval (ISI) effect was found on both PPmaxN2P3 and PPmaxP3N4 (p=0.004 and p=0.001 respectively). The amplitudes of ISI8 session in all electrode sites higher than ISI2 session for both PPmaxN2P3 (p=0.024) and PPmaxP3N4 (p=0.012). Also, ISI4 session has higher amplitudes than ISI2 session (p=0.05) for the PPmaxP3N4. Conclusion: This study revealed that the late components of SEPs are affected by the ISI change. The amplitudes of SEP components are increased as ISI increased.

ERPs Studies of Short- and Long-Term Habituation in Humans: A Systematic Review

“…For visual stimuli, P1 is larger at the occipital electrode sites, starts 60 to 90 ms after the stimulus onset and peaks between 100 and 130 ms; N1 has an early subcomponent (100 to 150 ms) and two later subcomponents: 1) it arises from the parietal cortex and 2) it arises from the occipital cortex between 150 to 200 ms after the stimulus onset; and P2 that follows N1 at the anterior and central scalp sites. Habituation on ERP components from cortical somatosensory areas has also been reported with somatosensory stimuli (Pratt, 2012) by electrical simulation (e.g., Bak et al, 2014), air puff (e.g., Akın & Güdücü, 2019) and heat pulses (e.g., de Tommaso et al, 2015;Lev et al, 2012). In summary, habituation has been shown in ERP components P50, N1, P1, P2, P3, and N4.…”

“…In summary, the habituation of the response is faster and greater for frequent stimuli (Akın & Güdücü, 2019;Angel et al, 1985;Bourbon et al, 1987;Budd et al, 1998;Davis et al, 1966;Fruhstorfer et al, 1970;Gjerdingen & Tomsic, 1970;Lehtonen, 1973;Nelson & Lassman, 1968Ritter et al, 1968;Rosburg et al, 2010;Roth & Kopell, 1969;Roth et al, 1976;Wastell & Kleinman, 1980a;Woods & Elmasian, 1986;Woods et al, 1980). As shown in Table 2, a wide range of ISIs have been explored with the intra-session protocol.…”