P300 in serial tasks: an essential post-decision closure mechanism.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses P300 in serial tasks which are an essential post-decision closure mechanism. It is now agreed that event-related potentials (ERPs) are composite phenomena made up of distinct components that can be differentially manipulated experimentally and reflect different cerebral processors engaged in the cognitive task. Middle range components such as N120 are elicited when the cognitive and speed overload exceed a certain value and present a somewhat restricted scalp topography that differs characteristically with the sensory modality of the target stimuli. Primary components in cortical receiving areas (clearly documented for the somatosensory evoked potentials only) are not modified by the task conditions and represent roughly a hard-wired response occurring irrespective of wide changes in N120 or P300. On the other hand the P300 occurs maximally or only for those stimuli having been designated as targets that correspond to a task-relevant category. The small P300 sometimes described for stimuli that the subject is told to ignore may result from a failure of the subject to follow instructions or to orienting.

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