Attention effects on the auditory event-related potential

Abstract

Studies on selective-attention effects on the auditory event-related brain potential (ERP) are reviewed. Brainstem components of the ERP have not been shown to be sensitive to attention. On the other hand, attention effects in the middle-latency range (12-50 ms from stimulus onset) appear to occur under some conditions but it is not clear whether these effects are exogenous or endogenous. The predominant attention effect on the auditory ERP is the processing negativity, a slow endogenous negativity which often commences well before the exogenous (supratemporal) N1 component peaks (at about 100 ms post-stimulus), therefore giving the impression that this exogenous component is attention-sensitive. It is not yet settled, however, whether even these exogenous processes under some conditions might be modulated by selective attention.