Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The extent to which pattern reversal evoked potential amplitudes are distributed symmetrically over the scalp was investigated as a function of stimulus spatial frequency. Nine right-handed male subjects viewed sinusoidal grating stimuli of 4.0 and 0.5 c/deg phase reversed every 900 msec. A visual half-field configuration enabled selective stimulation of the right- or left-hemisphere visual cortex. Evoked responses were recorded from the 2 cm above the inion (Oz) and at 7 and 13 cm lateral to Oz. Analyses of normalized evoked response amplitudes showed a significant asymmetry for the 4.0 c/deg stimulus; right-hemisphere amplitudes declined as a function of distance from the midline, while left-hemisphere amplitudes were greatest at the 7 cm recording site. No hemispheric differences were observed for the 0.5 c/deg stimulus; amplitudes for both hemispheres declined as a function of distance from the midline. The data are discussed in terms of hemispheric differences in morphology and functional asymmetries at early levels of sensory processing.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Barrett

Blumhardt

Halliday

A. M.

Halliday

Kriss

(1976) A paradox in the lateralisation of the visual evoked response. Nature, 61, 253–255.

Blumhardt

L. D.

Barrett

Halliday

A. M.

Kriss

(1978) The effect of experimental “scotoma” on the ipsilateral and contralateral responses to pattern-reversal in one half-field. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 45, 376–392.

Chang Chui

Damasio

A. R.

(1980) Human cerebral asymmetries evaluated by computed tomography. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 43, 873–878.

Church

K. L.

Chiarello

(1988) Lateral eyes or lateralized: Hemiretinal and ocular dominance effects on visual field asymmetries for the lexical decision task. Brain and Cognition, 8, 227–239.

Cohn

N. B.

Kircher

Emmerson

R. Y.

Dustman

R. E.

(1985) Pattern reversal evoked potentials: Age, sex and hemispheric asymmetry. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 62, 399–405.

Gur

R. C.

Packer

I. K.

Hungerbuhler

J. P.

Reivich

Obrist

W. D.

Amrnek

W. S.

Sackeim

H. A.

(1980) Differences in the distribution of gray and white matter in human cerebral hemispheres. Science, 207, 1226–1228.

Livingstone

Hubel

(1988) Segregation of form, color, movement, and depth: Anatomy, physiology, and perception. Science, 240, 740–749.

Kitterle

Christman

Hellige

(1990) Hemispheric differences are found in the identification, but not the detection, of low versus high spatial frequencies. Perception & Psychophysics, 48, 297–306.

Kitterle

Hellige

Christman

(1992) Visual hemispheric asymmetries depend on which spatial frequencies are task relevant. Brain and Cognition, 20, 308–314.

10.

Klemm

W. R.

Gibbons

W. D.

Allen

R. G.

Richey

E. O.

(1980) Hemispheric lateralization of human evoked “steady-state” responses to patterned visual stimuli. Physiological Psychology, 8, 409–416.

11.

Klemm

W. R.

Goodson

R. A.

Allen

R. G.

(1983) Contrast effects of three primary colors on human evoked potentials. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 55, 557–566.

12.

Mecacci

Spinelli

(1987) Hemispheric asymmetry of pattern reversal visual evoked potentials in healthy subjects. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 4, 325–328.

13.

Proverbio

A. M.

Zani

Mangun

G. R.

Gazzaniga

(1995) VEP evidence of hemispheric asymmetries for spatial frequency processing in a split-brain patient. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, San Francisco, CA.

14.

Sergent

Hellige

J. B.

(1986) Role of input factors in visual-field asymmetries. Brain and Cognition, 5, 174–199

15.

Shapley

(1990) Visual sensitivity and parallel retinocortical channels. Annual Review of Psychology, 41, 635–658.

16.

Van Orden

K. F.

House

J. F.

(1989) The asymmetrical distribution of the pattern reversal evoked potential (PREP) depends on stimulus spatial frequency. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, MA.

Spatial Frequency-Dependent Asymmetry of Visual Evoked Potential Amplitudes

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References