Voluntary control of Necker cube reversals modulates the EEG delta- and gamma-band response

Reversible figures such as the Necker cube make up a well-known class of visual phenomena in which an invariant stimulus pattern gives rise to at least two different perceptual interpretations. Former EEG studies of our research group demonstrated a reversal-related delta response and a frontal enhancement of gamma activity during multistable perception which has been interpreted as signaling attentional top-down processes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the functional involvement of delta and gamma activity in top-down processes more explicitly by asking 21 healthy participants to bring the reversal rate under voluntary control during viewing of the Necker cube. Slowing down the reversal rate should be accomplished by focussing attention to the currently perceived alternative while speeding up should be accomplished by shifting attention as rapidly as possible from one perspective to the other. EEG was recorded from frontal, central, parietal, and occipital locations of both hemispheres. The data was analysed on the single-sweep level in the delta and gamma frequency range. The results showed that both delta response and gamma power were larger during slowing down than speeding up the reversal rate. These findings may indicate that more attentional resources have to be allocated by the cognitive system in order to prevent a reversal by means of focussed attention than to initiate a reversal by attentional shifts.