This project will show that the recognition potential is a new brain wave phenomenon that bears a superior relationship to psychological processes, compared to other event-related potentials. From previous research it is known to be evoked by recognizable images (e.g. words, pictures, and faces). Its short latency and scalp distribution distinguish it from the vertex-positive wave known as P3 or P300 and a related negative potential that precedes it (N2). For N2, polarity is also a distinguishing feature. The lead closer to the vertex becomes initially positive for the recognition potential, not negative. N2 and P3 are sensitive to probability of occurrence. The rarer stimulus evokes the response. Either a low or a high frequency tone could be rarer, so either could evoke N2-P3. Exchanging the roles of low and high frequency tones has been used to rule out the possibility that the N2-P3 effects were produced by differences in the physical attributes of the stimuli. This doesn't work for the recognition potential. It is relatively insensitive to the probability of occurrence, and it depends on the recognizability of the images. The picture of a fish would evoke it, but a scrambled, unrecognizable version of it would not. The roles of these two stimuli cannot be exchanged. A solution to this problem took advantage of differences in learning experience among subjects. Chinese-speaking subjects discerned at a glance the meaning of Chinese ideographs. Subjects unfamiliar with Chinese derived no meaning from them. Recognizability was the important factor, not the physical attributes, so the Chinese ideographs evoked the recognition potential only for the Chinese speaking subjects. Many studies showed increased N2 or P3 latency for more difficult perceptual tasks, but the increase was only a fraction of the increase observed for RT. The recognition potential showed a superior relationship; its latency increase equalled the RT increase. The N400 component was found to be relatively independent of frequency of usage, as defined by words occurring at least 50 times/million words versus 0-5 times/million words. Preliminary evidence shows recognition potential latency increases for less commonly used words as much as RT does. The proposed research will confirm these results in a larger group of subjects. This will (1) provide additional evidence that the recognition potential is not the same as the event-related potentials previously studied, (2) demonstrate the superiority of the recognition potential for studying psychophysical processes, and (3) encourage its use for the study of reading disorders.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS029340-02
Application #
3416122
Study Section
Biopsychology Study Section (BPO)
Project Start
1992-01-01
Project End
1994-12-31
Budget Start
1993-01-01
Budget End
1993-12-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Suny Downstate Medical Center
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
068552207
City
Brooklyn
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
11203
Rudell, Alan P; Hu, Bin (2010) Effects of long-time reading experience on reaction time and the recognition potential. Int J Psychophysiol 76:158-68
Rudell, A P; Hu, B (2001) Does a warning signal accelerate the processing of sensory information? Evidence from recognition potential responses to high and low frequency words. Int J Psychophysiol 41:31-42
Rudell, A P; Hu, B (2000) Behavioral and brain wave evidence for automatic processing of orthographically regular letter strings. Brain Lang 75:137-52
Rudell, A P; Hu, B; Prasad, S et al. (2000) The recognition potential and reversed letters. Int J Neurosci 101:109-32
Rudell, A P; Hu, B (1999) Effects of target area and letter complexity on event-related potentials and reaction time. Int J Neurosci 99:159-80
Rudell, A P (1999) The recognition potential and the word frequency effect at a high rate of word presentation. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res 8:173-5
Rudell, A P; Hua, J (1997) The recognition potential, word difficulty, and individual reading ability: on using event-related potentials to study perception. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 23:1170-95
Rudell, A P; Hua, J (1996) The recognition potential and word priming. Int J Neurosci 87:225-40
Rudell, A P; Hua, J (1996) The recognition potential and conscious awareness. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 98:309-18
Rudell, A P; Hua, J (1995) Recognition potential latency and word image degradation. Brain Lang 51:229-41

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