Influence of spatial frequency and handedness on hemispheric asymmetry in visually steady-state evoked potentials

Recent suggestions on the involvement of the spatial frequency of visual stimuli in the hemispheric lateralization were investigated by recording steady-state evoked potentials in two groups of subjects: five right-handers and five left-handers. Sinusoidal gratings at spatial frequency of 0.5, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 16 cpd were phase reversed at 4 Hz or 12 Hz. Evoked potentials recorded from temporal leads over each hemisphere were submitted to a FFT analysis. Results concern the amplitude of the fundamental component. In right-handers, the temporal frequency was the deciding factor of the lateralization: the evoked activities were greatest in the RH at 4 Hz and in the LH at 12 Hz. This effect was obvious for the range of spatial frequencies from 3-12 cpd. Results, discussed in terms of global/local information, suggested the existence of two transient and sustained systems. In left-handers, both the spatial and temporal parameters were relevant to the lateralization. A spatio-temporal interaction was observed which was reversed at 6 cpd.

[1]  R. D. Whitman,et al.  Spatio-Temporal Discrimination of Frequency in the Right and Left Visual Fields: A Preliminary Report , 1981, Perceptual and motor skills.

[2]  A Fiorentini,et al.  Right-Hemisphere Superiority in the Discrimination of Spatial Phase , 1984, Perception.

[3]  R. G. Allen,et al.  Hemispheric lateralization and handedness correlation of human evoked “steady-state” responses to patterned visual stimuli , 1980 .

[4]  J. Bradshaw,et al.  The nature of hemispheric specialization in man , 1981, Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

[5]  Bruno G. Breitmeyer,et al.  Visual masking : an integrative approach , 1984 .

[6]  J. Sergent.  About face: left-hemisphere involvement in processing physiognomies. , 1982, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[7]  J. Robson,et al.  Application of fourier analysis to the visibility of gratings , 1968, The Journal of physiology.

[8]  S. Butler,et al.  Electrical correlate of right hemisphere function. , 1972, Nature: New biology.

[9]  C. Blakemore,et al.  Orientation Selectivity of the Human Visual System as a Function of Retinal Eccentricity and Visual Hemifield , 1981, Perception.

[10]  D. Rose,et al.  An investigation into hemisphere differences in adaptation to contrast , 1983, Perception & psychophysics.

[11]  J Sergent,et al.  Role of the input in visual hemispheric asymmetries. , 1983, Psychological bulletin.

[12]  G. Barrett,et al.  A paradox in the lateralisation of the visual evoked response , 1976, Nature.

[13]  B. E. Tei,et al.  Laterality differences in sensitivity to line orientation as a function of adaptation duration , 1980, Perception & psychophysics.

[14]  G. Barrett,et al.  The effect of experimental 'scotomata' on the ipsilateral and contralateral responses to pattern-reversal in one half-field. , 1978, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[15]  A. Milner,et al.  Visual evoked potentials to lateralized visual stimuli and the measurement of interhemispheric transmission time , 1984, Neuropsychologia.

[16]  J. Sergent.  The cerebral balance of power: confrontation or cooperation? , 1982, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[17]  F. Kitterle,et al.  Hemispheric symmetry in contrast and orientation sensitivity , 1985, Perception & psychophysics.

[18]  M. Moscovitch.  Afferent and efferent models of visual perceptual asymmetries: Theoretical and empirical implications , 1986, Neuropsychologia.

[19]  L. Maffei,et al.  Spatial frequency rows in the striate visual cortex , 1977, Vision Research.

[20]  Mark W. Cannon,et al.  Contrast sensitivity: Psychophysical and evoked potential methods compared , 1983, Vision Research.

[21]  J. Tukey,et al.  An algorithm for the machine calculation of complex Fourier series , 1965 .

[22]  R. Emmerson,et al.  Pattern reversal evoked potentials: age, sex and hemispheric asymmetry. , 1985, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[23]  H. Hécaen,et al.  Cerebral organization in left-handers , 1981, Brain and Language.

[24]  H Hécaen,et al.  Cerebral dominance in left-handed subjects. , 1971, Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior.

[25]  M. Moscovitch.  Information Processing and the Cerebral Hemispheres , 1979 .

[26]  F. Campbell,et al.  Electrophysiological evidence for the existence of orientation and size detectors in the human visual system , 1970, The Journal of physiology.

[27]  J. Hoc,et al.  L'analyse planifiée des données en psychologie , 1983 .

[28]  M. Moscovitch,et al.  Backward masking of lateralized faces by noise, pattern, and spatial frequency , 1987, Brain and Cognition.

[29]  Vincent Di Lollo,et al.  Hemispheric symmetry in duration of visible persistence , 1981 .

[30]  J Sergent.  Influence of task and input factors on hemispheric involvement in face processing. , 1985, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[31]  Differential hemispheric processing of faces: Methodological considerations and reinterpretation. , 1981 .

[32]  D. Regan.  Assessment of visual acuity by evoked potential recording: Ambiguity caused by temporal dependence of spatial frequency selectivity , 1978, Vision Research.

[33]  J E Hoffman,et al.  Interaction between global and local levels of a form. , 1980, Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance.

[34]  F. Morrell,et al.  Hemispheric asymmetry of visual evoked potentials in patients with well-defined occipital lesions. , 1984, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[35]  P. Lennie.  Parallel visual pathways: A review , 1980, Vision Research.

[36]  John L. Bradshaw,et al.  Human cerebral asymmetry , 1978, Trends in Neurosciences.

[37]  M. Annett.  Left, right, hand and brain : the right shift theory , 1985 .

[38]  M. R. Harter,et al.  Hemispheric differences in the neural processing of stimulus location and type: Effects of selective attention on visual evoked potentials , 1982, Neuropsychologia.

[39]  J Sergent,et al.  Theoretical and methodological consequences of variations in exposure duration in visual laterality studies , 1982, Perception & psychophysics.

[40]  J. Sergent,et al.  Role of task factors in visual field asymmetries , 1986, Brain and Cognition.

[41]  M. P. Bryden,et al.  Laterality: Functional Asymmetry in the Intact Brain , 1982 .

[42]  J. P. Ary,et al.  Spatio-temporal visually evoked scalp potentials in response to partial-field patterned stimulation. , 1980, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[43]  R. C. Oldfield.  The assessment and analysis of handedness: the Edinburgh inventory. , 1971, Neuropsychologia.

[44]  D. Spinelli,et al.  Hemispheric asymmetry of pattern reversal visual evoked potentials in healthy subjects. , 1987, International Journal of Psychophysiology.

[45]  E. Szelag,et al.  Hemispheric differences in the perception of gratings , 1987 .

[46]  C. Bonnet,et al.  Hemispheric Asymmetries in the Visual Evoked Potentials to Temporal Frequency: Preliminary Evidence , 1986, Perception.