Optimal digital filtering versus difference waves on the mismatch negativity in an uninterrupted sound paradigm

Conventionally, mismatch negativity (MMN) is analyzed through the calculation of the difference waves. This helps to eliminate some exogenous event-related potential (ERP) components. However, this reduces the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This study aims to test whether or not the optimal digital filtering performs better than the difference waves procedure in quantitative ERP analyses in an uninterrupted sound paradigm. The participants were 102 children aged 8-16 years. The MMN was elicited in a passive oddball paradigm presenting an uninterrupted sound consisting of two alternating tones (600 and 800 Hz) of the same duration (100 msec) with infrequent shortenings of one of the 600 Hz tones (50 or 30 msec). In the grand average, both the 50 and 30 msec tones showed a clear MMN-like activity. Each 100 msec tone elicited some rhythmic activity with relatively consistent ERP waveforms. The difference waves calculated from the offset of the deviant stimuli (time correction due to shortening of the deviant stimuli) failed to separate the MMN from this activity, and produced spurious ERPs at early latencies. The optimal digital filtering freed the MMN from this rhythmic activity, improved the SNR, and thus stabilized the quantitative amplitude and latency analyses of the MMN. The frequency range for optimal extraction of the MMN in this paradigm was 2-8.5 Hz.