Theta Oscillation Related to the Auditory Discrimination Process in Mismatch Negativity: Oddball versus Control Paradigm

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim of this study was to identify the mechanism underlying the auditory discriminatory process reflected in mismatch negativity (MMN), using time-frequency analysis of single-trial event-related potentials (ERPs). METHODS Two auditory tones of different probabilities (oddball paradigm) and the same probability (control paradigm) were used. The average dynamic changes in amplitude were evaluated, and the in-phase consistency of the EEG spectrum at each frequency and time window across trials, event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs), and inter-trial phase coherence (ITC) were computed. RESULTS Subtraction of the ERPs of standard stimuli from the ERPs of deviant stimuli revealed a clear MMN component in the oddball paradigm. However, no discernible MMN component was observed in the control paradigm. Statistical tests showed that in the oddball paradigm, deviant tones produced significant increases of theta ERSPs and ITC at around 250 ms as compared with the standard tone, while no significant difference between the two stimuli was observed in the control paradigm. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm that the auditory discriminatory process reflected in MMN is accompanied by phase resetting and power modulation at the theta frequency.