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A Method for Tracking the Time Evolution of Steady-State Evoked Potentials
Published on: May 25, 2019
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Attentional modulation of auditory steady-state responses
Yatin Mahajan1, Chris Davis1, Jeesun Kim1
1The MARCS Institute, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Plos One
|October 22, 2014
Summary
Auditory selective attention enhances neural responses to sounds in the opposite ear but suppresses responses to sounds in the same ear, particularly at lower frequencies. Higher frequencies showed no attentional modulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Auditory selective attention is crucial for filtering relevant sounds from noise.
- Auditory Steady State Responses (ASSR) provide a measure of neural processing in response to modulated auditory stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how selective attention affects auditory steady state responses (ASSR).
- To examine the influence of modulation frequency and stimulation ear (ipsilateral/contralateral) on attentional modulation of ASSR.
Main Methods:
- Used a frequency tagging paradigm with simultaneously presented, amplitude-modulated white noise streams.
- Two carrier frequencies (16 & 23.5 Hz or 32.5 & 40 Hz) were presented dichotically.
- Participants selectively attended to one ear, with behavioral confirmation.
Main Results:
- Selective attention modulated ASSR differently based on modulation frequency and laterality.
- Attention enhanced contralateral ASSR at 16 Hz and suppressed ipsilateral ASSR at 16 Hz and 23.5 Hz.
- No attentional effects were observed for modulation frequencies of 32.5 Hz or 40 Hz.
Conclusions:
- Attentional effects on ASSR are frequency-dependent, suggesting involvement of different neural mechanisms.
- Observed patterns may reflect binaural suppression, contralateral hemisphere dominance, and subcortical processing biases.
- Lower modulation frequencies likely involve cortical structures for attentional modulation of auditory processing.
