Modality-specific and modality-general electrophysiological correlates of visual and auditory awareness: Evidence from a bimodal ERP experiment. (10th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Filimonov, Dmitri; Railo, Henry; Revonsuo, Antti; Koivisto, Mika
• Is Part Of: Neuropsychologia. Number 166(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02-10
• Subjects: Consciousness -- Awareness -- Visual -- Auditory -- Bimodal -- Electroencephalography -- Threshold -- Visual awareness negativity -- Auditory awareness negativity -- Late positivity; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychologie -- Périodiques; Neuropsychology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108154
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-3932

Abstract

Abstract: To date, most studies on the event-related potential (ERP) correlates of conscious perception have examined a single perceptual modality. We compared electrophysiological correlates of visual and auditory awareness in the same experiment to test whether there are modality-specific and modality-general correlates of conscious perception. We used near threshold stimulation and analyzed event-related potentials in response to aware and unaware trials in visual, auditory and bimodal conditions. The results showed modality-specific negative amplitude correlates of conscious perception between 200 and 300 ms after stimulus onset. A combination of these auditory and visual awareness negativities was observed in the bimodal condition. A later positive amplitude difference, whose early part was modality-specific, possibly reflecting access to global workspace, and later part shared modality-general features, possibly indicating higher level cognitive processing involving the decision making, was also observed. Highlights: The event-related potential correlates of visual and auditory awareness were compared in the same experiment. Negative amplitude difference between 200 and 300 ms in each modality is a modality-specific correlate. Late positivity is a correlate of awareness, which shares both modality-specific and modality-general features.