P2 enhancement from auditory discrimination training is associated with improved reaction times

This study examined the effects of training in a pure tone discrimination task on relations between behavioral performance and the magnitude of auditory event-related potentials (ERPs). Participants performed both passive (listening) and active (detecting) oddball tasks in a pretest and two posttests (1 and 9 weeks after training). Training produced a long-term benefit in both perceptual sensitivity and reaction times (RT). Training enhanced the amplitude of the P2 ERP component to both standards and deviants at both early and delayed posttests. Importantly, P2 enhancement was strongly associated with discrimination RT, suggesting that experience facilitates rapid, preattentive access to perceptual representations. Training also elevated the mismatch negativity, possibly due to the strengthening of acoustic traces. Finally, training enhanced the amplitude of the P3 component to deviants across posttests, indicating a long-lasting effect of discrimination training on stimulus salience.