Title
Pre- and post-stimulus EEG patterns associated with the touch-induced illusory flash
Author
van Erp, J.B.F.
Philippi, T.G.
de Winkel, K.N.
Werkhoven, P.
Publication year
2014
Abstract
Pairing two brief auditory beeps with a single flash can evoke the percept of a second, illusory, flash. Investigations of the underlying neural mechanisms are limited to post-stimulus effects of this sound-induced illusory flash. We investigated whether touch modulates the visual evoked potential in a similar vein, and also looked at pre-stimulus activity. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded over occipital and parieto-occipital areas of 12 observers. We compared bimodal EEG to its unimodal constituents (i.e., the difference waves) and found significant positive deflections around 110. ms and 200. ms and negative deflections around 330. ms and 390. ms from stimulus onset. These results are similar to those reported for the sound-induced illusion, albeit somewhat later. Furthermore, comparison of the EEG activity between those trials in which the illusion was perceived and those in which it was absent revealed that the phase of pre-stimulus alpha was linked to perceiving the illusion or not. We conclude that touch can modulate activity in the visual cortex and that similar neural mechanisms underlie perception of the sound- and touch-induced illusory flash and that the phase of the alpha wave at the moment of presentation that affects perception. © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
Subject
Human Performances
PCS - Perceptual and Cognitive Systems
ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences
Perception
Alpha
EEG
Illusion
Illusory flash
Multisensory
Pre-stimulus
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:9096382f-575b-4f64-ac30-e55c71c7762d
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2014.01.010
TNO identifier
489158
ISSN
0304-3940
Source
Neuroscience Letters, 562, 79-84
Document type
article