Early visual ERPs show stable body-sensitive patterns over a 4-week test period

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Event-related potential (ERP) studies are highly cited in body representation research.
• Recent work suggests ERPs could serve as neuropsychiatric biomarkers.
• The long-term reliability of early visual ERPs and body-sensitive effects remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the temporal stability of early visual ERP components (P1, N1, VPP).
• To evaluate the reliability of body-sensitive effects over a four-week period.
• To identify potential electrophysiological biomarkers for body representation.

Main Methods:

• Participants completed EEG sessions weekly for four consecutive weeks.
• Stimuli included images of own bodies, other bodies, and houses.
• Analysis focused on amplitude and latency of visual P1, N1, and VPP components and body-sensitive effects.

Main Results:

• Amplitude and latency of early visual components and body-sensitive effects remained stable across the four weeks.
• VPP component amplitude demonstrated higher reliability than VPP latency.
• Certain electrode sites showed more robust body-sensitive cortical activity.

Conclusions:

• Early visual P1, N1, and VPP responses, including body-sensitive effects, are reliable indicators of neuronal activity.
• These components are suitable for consideration as electrophysiological biomarkers in body representation research.