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Amplitude and phase variations of harmonic components in human achromatic and chromatic visual evoked potentials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

D. J. McKeefry ,
M. H. A. Russell ,
I. J. Murray  and
J. J. Kulikowski
D. J. McKeefry
Affiliation:
Visual Sciences Laboratory, Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, UMIST, P.O.Box 88, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK
M. H. A. Russell
Affiliation:
Visual Sciences Laboratory, Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, UMIST, P.O.Box 88, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK
I. J. Murray
Affiliation:
Visual Sciences Laboratory, Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, UMIST, P.O.Box 88, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK
J. J. Kulikowski
Affiliation:
Visual Sciences Laboratory, Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, UMIST, P.O.Box 88, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK
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Abstract

Occipital visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded in response to low-contrast, low spatial-frequency chromatic, and achromatic gratings. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and time-domain analysis were used to reveal differences in harmonic content and amplitude of chromatic and achromatic response components over a wide range of temporal frequencies. The chromatic ON/OFF VHP is dominated by the fundamental component indicating that onset and offset responses are different. This type of response is typical of neurons with sustained type response characteristics. Conversely, the achromatic onset VEP contains a predominant second harmonic component in addition to the fundamental. This similarity between onset and offset responses suggests that transient mechanisms are responsible for the generation of achromatic components. Frequency analysis of VEPs elicited by phase-reversing stimuli reveals that all of the response energy is concentrated at the second harmonic of the stimulating frequency. The magnitude of the second harmonic component is maximal for achromatic stimuli and undergoes a distinct minimum for isoluminant, chromatic stimuli. This behavior indicates that under the stimulus conditions used, magnocellular neurons with transient characteristics dominate the reversal VEP.

Keywords

Color and achromatic pattern VEPTransient/sustained neural responses
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , July 1996 , pp. 639 - 653
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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