Event-related potentials during auditory oddball, and combined auditory oddball-visual paradigms

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the properties of a new modification of the classical auditory oddball paradigm (auditory oddball paradigm combined with passive visual stimulation, AERPs + VEPs) and compare the scalp topography obtained with the new paradigm and the classical auditory oddball paradigm (AERPs) in healthy humans. The responses to bimodal stimulation, and to the classical oddball paradigm were similar to those reported in other studies in terms of location, amplitudes, and latencies of P1, N1, P2, N2, and P300. The new modification of the oddball paradigm produced P300 at fronto-central locations in contrast to centro-parietal locations during the classical oddball paradigm. The amplitudes and latencies of P300 were also significantly larger during the new than the classical paradigm. Furthermore, the amplitudes of N1 and P2, but not N2 were significantly higher and differed in location during the new paradigm in response to both target and standard stimuli. The latencies of all three waves were significantly longer and the latency of P2 differed in location between the new and the classical paradigms in response to only the standard stimuli. The results of this study suggest that the new modification of the classical oddball paradigm produces different neural responses to the classical oddball paradigm. Therefore, this modification can be used to investigate dysfunctions in sensory and cognitive processing in clinical samples.