P300 Component Identification Using Source Analysis Techniques: Reduced Latency Variability

Abstract

P300 latency variability in normal subjects is a complicating factor in clinical event-related potential studies because it limits diagnostic applicability. The current study was conducted to determine whether identification of P300 (P3A and P3B) components using source analysis techniques can reduce variability in P300 parameters. Data were recorded with a 128-channel EEG system in 18 healthy subjects. The authors used a standard, auditory two-tone oddball paradigm with targets of 2000 Hz and standards of 1000 Hz. Two simple source analysis models with one or two rotating dipoles were applied to grand average data and individual data. Dipole time courses were combined with mapping results to extract P3A and P3B component latencies. Latencies obtained with conventional P300 analysis were compared with source analysis results. The source analysis method identified both P3A and P3B components in a substantially larger percentage of subjects (88% vs. 33%) than the conventional method. The source analysis method yielded a later mean P3B latency (357 msec vs. 323 msec, P < 0,001) with a smaller standard deviation (9 msec vs. 23 msec, P = 0,003) than the conventional P300 method. The relative contribution of the temporally separate P3A and P3B components to the P300 complex amplitude is highly variable. This explains the larger latency standard deviation in conventional P300 analysis. The source analysis method was able to identify P300 components in a large percentage of the cases. The result is a considerable reduction of P300 latency variability in normal subjects. This could have important consequences for clinical event-related potential research, because diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of P300 latency may improve with this method.

On the Proper Treatment of the N400 and P600 in Language Comprehension

“…Finally, LCS could be investigated through bottom-up modeling of the ERP signal. Data from complementary neuroimaging methods (e.g., fMRI and PET) and lesion studies, as well as neuroanatomical models of language electrophysiology (e.g., Brouwer and Hoeks, 2013 ) could be used to constrain and guide source modeling (see Elting et al, 2003 , for a decomposition of the P300 into the P3a and P3b). Moreover, temporal overlap of the N400 and P600 could be modeled within explicit neurocomputational models of ERPs (Alday et al, 2014 ; Brouwer et al, 2017 ).…”

EEG Coherence Obtained From an Auditory Oddball Task Increases With Age

“…Goodin et al (1978) were the first to report increasing P300 latency with age in an auditory oddball task. Furthermore, P300 amplitude decreases with increasing age, although this is to a large extent related to increased latency variability (Elting et al, 2003;Pfefferbaum et al, 1984).…”

P300 analysis techniques in cognitive impairment after brain injury: Comparison with neuropsychological and imaging data

“…A previous study demonstrated that an important cause of P300 latency variability is the existence of overlapping P300 components [27]. The main P300 components are P3A, an earlier and more frontocentrally located component, and P3B, a later and more centroparietally located component.…”

“…The main P300 components are P3A, an earlier and more frontocentrally located component, and P3B, a later and more centroparietally located component. It was demonstrated that, while conventional P300 analysis identifies P3A components in only a minority (AE25%) of subjects, source analysis shows that both P3A and P3B almost always contribute to the P300 complex in normal subjects, but to varying degrees [27]. Furthermore, source analysis yielded a later mean P3B latency with a smaller standard deviation in a group of control subjects when compared with conventional P300 latency analysis.…”

“…All recordings were performed under comparable standard test conditions. The entire recording and analysis procedure was described previously in a study on normal subjects [27]. In short, the recommendations on P300 recordings as outlined by Polich [22] were followed.…”