Electrophysiological Evidences for the Rotational Uncertainty Effect in the Hand Mental Rotation: An ERP and ERS/ERD Study. (15th April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yu, Lingxiao; Wang, Xu; Lyu, Yuanyuan; Ding, Li; Jia, Jie; Tong, Shanbao; Guo, Xiaoli
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience. Volume 432(2020)
• Page Start: 205
• Page End: 215
• Publication Date: 2020-04-15
• Subjects: ACC accuracy -- ANOVA analysis of variances -- AU always upright -- BA Brodmann area -- EEG electroencephalogram -- ERP event-related potential -- ERPONSET ERP respect to the stimulus onset -- ERPRT ERP respect to response -- ERS/ERD event-related (de)synchronization -- ERSP event-related spectral perturbation -- ICA independent component analysis -- MNI Montreal Neurological Institute -- RRN rotation-related negativity -- RT reaction time -- sLORETA standardized Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography -- SU sometimes upright -- SW the slow wave from −500 ms to −200 ms before response -- VEOG vertical electrooculogram; rotational uncertainty -- mental rotation -- body-part stimuli -- ERP -- ERS/ERD -- source localization; Neurochemistry -- Periodicals; Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurochimie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurochemistry; Neurophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.02.040
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4522

Abstract

Highlights: Rotational uncertainty was characterized by larger ERPs and stronger ERD. The slow wave difference can reflect the extent of rotational uncertainty effect. Source of effect locates in precentral and postcentral gyri, precuneus, and inferior parietal lobule. Abstract: Rotational uncertainty refers to the fact that the reaction time (RT) for identifying an upright stimulus is longer when the target stimulus is presented in a sequence of stimuli with different orientations (SU condition) than upright stimuli only (AU condition). Up until now, the rotational uncertainty effect has been only revealed by behavior measures, and its underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. In this study, using the hand mental rotation paradigm and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, we aimed to find the electrophysiological evidences of the rotational uncertainty from event-related potential (ERP) and event-related (de)synchronization (ERS/ERD) measurements. Compared with the upright hand stimuli in AU condition, the same stimuli in SU condition took longer RT, elicited stronger α-ERD and β-ERD, and evoked larger P100, P300 and the slow wave (SW) from −500 ms to −200 ms before response. In particular, the amplitude of SW difference (i.e., SWSU − SWAU ) was negatively correlated with the extent of rotational uncertainty effect (i.e., RTSU − RTAU ), with its source mainly in the right precentral and postcentral gyri, precuneus, and the left inferior parietal lobule. Our results suggested that identifying the upright hand stimuli in SU condition induced more activation of motor networks, and the rotational uncertainty influenced multiple cognitive processes from the early visual processing to the late mental rotation and judging phases. The results implied that in SU condition, subjects might maintain readiness for the next possible mental rotation immediately after the previous response, with more attention to the coming visual stimuli. Even for the upright stimuli, they might still prepare for the mental rotation, and even mentally rotate the stimuli in a minor angle.