Modality-specific and modality-general electrophysiological correlates of visual and auditory awareness: Evidence from a bimodal ERP experiment

: Filimonov Dmitri, Railo Henry, Revonsuo Antti, Koivisto Mika

Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

: 2022

: Neuropsychologia

: NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA

: 108154

: 166

: 10

: 0028-3932

: 1873-3514

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108154

: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/174832717

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.

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