Neurology International 2012; volume 4:e16 Relationship between early and event-related potential (ERP) components, including P200, N200, premotor potential Correspondence: Sergio Machado, Institute of late stages of information (PMP) and P300, in healthy participants in Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, processing: an event-related the context of a visual oddball paradigm. We Rua Ferreira Viana, 62/apt, 60. Flamengo, CEP potential study found a moderate positive correlation among 22210-040, Brazil. the latency of P200 (electrode O2), N200 Tel. +55.2191.567006. E-mail: [email protected] Claudio Portella,1,2 (electrode O2), PMP (electrode C3), P300 (electrode PZ) and the reaction time (RT). In Sergio Machado,3,4,5,6 Key words: decision making, event-related poten- addition, moderate negative correlation Oscar Arias-Carrión,7 tials, N200, P200, P300. between the amplitude of P200 and the laten- Alexander T. Sack,8 cies of N200 (electrode O2), PMP (electrode Julio Guilherme Silva,9 Marco Orsini,10,11 Contributions: CP, RP, PR designed, conducted C3), P300 (electrode PZ) was found. the literature review and drafted most of the Marco Antonio Araujo Leite,2 Therefore, we propose that if the secondary manuscript. ATS, OAC, MO, MAAL, SM, JGS, MC, 3 Adriana Cardoso Silva, processing of visual input (P200 latency) ACOS, and AEN performed the literature review Antonio E. Nardi,3 Mauricio Cagy,12 occurs faster, the following will also happen and the drafting of the manuscript. All authors Roberto Piedade,1 Pedro Ribeiro1 sooner: discrimination and classification were equally involved in reading and approving 1Brain Mapping and Sensory Motor process of this input (N200 latency), motor the final manuscript. Integration, Institute of Psychiatry of response processing (PMP latency), reorgan- ization of attention and working memory Conflict of interests: the authors declare no con- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, flict of interests. Brazil; 2Faculty of Physical Therapy, UNI- update (P300 latency), and RT. N200, PMP, ABEU, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 3Panic and and P300 latencies are also anticipated when Received for publication: 13 April 2012. Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry of higher activation level of occipital areas Revision received: 23 July 2012. involved in the secondary processing of visu- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Accepted for publication: 30 July 2012. al input rise (P200 amplitude). National Institute for Translational This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Medicine (INCT-TM), Brazil; 4Quiropraxia onlyAttribution NonCommercial 3.0 License (CC BY- Program, Central University, Santiago, NC 3.0). Chile; 5Physical Activity Neuroscience, Introduction ©Copyright C. Portella et al., 2012 Physical Activity Sciences Postgraduate Licensee PAGEPress, Italy Program - Salgado de Oliveira University, Recent studies highlighted the importanceuse Neurology International 2012; 4:e16 Niterói, Brazil; 6Institute of Phylosophy, of central organization of neural processes doi:10.4081/ni.2012.e16 Federal University of Uberlândia involved in what has been called the different (IFILO/UFU), Brazil; 7Movement stages of information processing.1-11 The Disorders and Transcraneal Magnetic brain is capable of processing and executing Stimulation Unit, Hospital General Dr. these different stages in a seemingly simple Manuel Gea González, México DF, México; and efficient manner, i.e. the brain detects, that subserve the sensory, perceptual and cog- 8Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, identifies and discriminates different stim- nitive processes. Hence, the different stages of Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, uli, and subsequently selects and activates sensory information processing are represent- ed by specific ERP components, specifically Maastricht University, The Netherlands; appropriate responses in a matter of hun- 1,2 reflecting the primary and secondary process- 9Physical Therapy Department, Federal dreds of a millisecond. However, exactly ing of sensory input, encoding, classification University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; how these information-processing stages are processed in the brain remains largely and guidance of the task, as well as the selec- 10Neurology Department, Antonio Pedro unknown. Several researchers have argued tion and response execution.12 ERPs are well- University Hospital, Federal Fluminense that these processes occur serially, with the defined representatives of different stages of University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; completion of one stage being a requirement sensory information processing, with the early 11 Master Program of Science for the beginning of the next.8 In line with ERP components reflecting basic sensory pro- Rehabilitation UNISUAM, RioNon-commercial de Janeiro, this notion, one would expect that impair- cessing of stimuli (lower level processing), e.g. Brazil; 12Division of Epidemiology and ments in initial stages of sensory informa- P200 and N200 waves, and the later ERP com- Biostatistic, Institute of Health tion processing would affect the subsequent ponents reflecting the perceptual and cogni- Community, Federal Fluminense phase(s); perhaps also affecting cognitive tive processing of stimuli (higher level pro- University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and/or motor performance.9 In contrast, how- cessing), e.g. premotor potential (PMP) and ever, some studies have provided evidence to P300 wave that can be transformed into a support the notion that information process- motor (Go) or into inhibition response (No- ing stages can occur simultaneously, i.e. in Go).13,14 In the current study, we aimed to Abstract parallel, which means serial processing is investigate possible correlations among these not necessarily required.10 Furthermore, sev- early and late stages of information processing The brain is capable of elaborating and eral afferent and efferent pathways in the by assessing the latency and amplitude of early executing different stages of information pro- central nervous system have parallel path- and late ERP components, including P200, cessing. However, exactly how these stages ways, and their distributed parallel processes N200, PMP and P300, in the context of a visual are processed in the brain remains largely might clarify certain features of human oddball paradigm. In addition, we assessed the unknown. This study aimed to analyze the behavior.11 specific relation of these ERP components to possible correlation between early and late The examination of event-related potentials the behavioral measures of our paradigm. We stages of information processing by assessing (ERP) provides useful insights into the nature, were specifically interested in identifying spe- the latency to, and amplitude of, early and late organization and timing of neuronal events cific correlations across early and late ERP [Neurology International 2012; 4:e16] [page 71] Article components representing early versus late (EEG) data was collected. During the visual milliseconds with an inter-trial interval (onset stages of information processing and, if so, task, lights were turned off and subjects were to onset) of 1500 milliseconds. which characteristics (latency, amplitude) instructed to concentrate exclusively on the demonstrate such relationships in the context monitor screen. A 15” Samsung monitor was Electroencephalography data of our paradigm. placed 50 cm in front of the participant. The acquisition and processing visual stimulus was presented on the monitor The International 10/20 System for elec- by the ERP acquisition software, developed in trodes was used with a 20-channel EEG system DELPHI 5.0. To elicit the P300, all subjects (Braintech-3000, EMSA-Medical Instruments, Materials and Methods were presented with the same visual discrimi- Brazil).16 The 20 electrodes were arranged in a nation task, which used the classical oddball nylon cap (Electro Cap Inc., Fairfax, VA, USA) Subjects paradigm.2 In this paradigm, two stimuli are yielding monopole derivations referred to presented randomly one of which occurs infre- Twenty healthy subjects [10 male, 10 linked earlobes. In addition, two 9 mm diame- quently. Participants were asked to discrimi- female; mean age 33.5 years, standard devia- ter electrodes were attached above and on the nate targets (25% infrequent) from non-tar- tion (SD) 11.5] were recruited. All subjects external corner of the right eye, in a bipolar gets or standard stimuli (75% frequent). were right handed and had normal or correct- electrode montage, for eye-movement (EOG) Target stimuli were defined as visual squares ed to normal vision.15 Inclusion criteria were: artifact monitoring. Impedance of EEG and and non-targets as circles. absence of mental or physical impairments EOG electrodes were kept under 5-10 kΩ. The Participants were instructed to respond only and no history of psychoactive or psychotropic data acquired had total amplitude of less than to target stimuli by pressing a button with substance use (screened by an anamnesis and 100 µV. The EEG signal was amplified with a their right index finger using a joystick (Quick a clinical examination). Furthermore, subjects gain of 22,000, analogically filtered between Shot-Crystal CS4281, Quick shot, USA). The were not included if they had less than 6-8 h of 0.01 Hz (high-pass) and 100 Hz (low-pass), reaction time (RT) resulting from the pressing and sampled at 240 Hz. The software ERP sleep prior to the experiment and/or caffeine of a button in the joystick after each target Acquisition (Delphi