A new method for detecting interactions between the senses in event-related potentials

TY - JOUR

T1 - A new method for detecting interactions between the senses in event-related potentials

AU - Gondan, Matthias

AU - Röder, B.

PY - 2006/2/16

Y1 - 2006/2/16

N2 - Event-related potentials (ERPs) can be used in multisensory research to determine the point in time when different senses start to interact, for example, the auditory and the visual system. For this purpose, the ERP to bimodal stimuli (AV) is often compared to the sum of the ERPs to auditory (A) and visual (V) stimuli: AV - (A + V). If the result is non-zero, this is interpreted as an indicator for multisensory interactions. Using this method, several studies have demonstrated auditory-visual interactions as early as 50 ms after stimulus onset. The subtraction requires that A, V, and AV do not contain common activity: This activity would be subtracted twice from one ERP and would, therefore, contaminate the result. In the present study, ERPs to unimodal, bimodal, and trimodal auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli (T) were recorded. We demonstrate that (T + TAV) - (TA + TV) is equivalent to AV - (A + V), but common activity is eliminated because two ERPs are subtracted from two others. With this new comparison technique, the first auditory-visual interaction starts around 80 ms after stimulus onset for the present experimental setting. It is possible to apply the new comparison method to other brain imaging techniques, as well, e.g. functional magnetic resonance imaging.

AB - Event-related potentials (ERPs) can be used in multisensory research to determine the point in time when different senses start to interact, for example, the auditory and the visual system. For this purpose, the ERP to bimodal stimuli (AV) is often compared to the sum of the ERPs to auditory (A) and visual (V) stimuli: AV - (A + V). If the result is non-zero, this is interpreted as an indicator for multisensory interactions. Using this method, several studies have demonstrated auditory-visual interactions as early as 50 ms after stimulus onset. The subtraction requires that A, V, and AV do not contain common activity: This activity would be subtracted twice from one ERP and would, therefore, contaminate the result. In the present study, ERPs to unimodal, bimodal, and trimodal auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli (T) were recorded. We demonstrate that (T + TAV) - (TA + TV) is equivalent to AV - (A + V), but common activity is eliminated because two ERPs are subtracted from two others. With this new comparison technique, the first auditory-visual interaction starts around 80 ms after stimulus onset for the present experimental setting. It is possible to apply the new comparison method to other brain imaging techniques, as well, e.g. functional magnetic resonance imaging.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33644952403&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.12.050

DO - 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.12.050

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:33644952403

SN - 0006-8993

VL - 1073-1074

SP - 389

EP - 397

JO - Brain Research

JF - Brain Research

IS - 1

ER -