[State and complexity-dependent symmetry identification of 2-dimensional patterns and evoked potentials].

Abstract

To analyse the influence of structural complexity of visual patterns and of an operationally defined cognitive state on evoked potentials some on--line closed--loop experiments were carried out. Symmetrical checkerboard patterns generated by means of Walsh functions were used as stimuli. The inherent symmetry should be recognized by the subjects. The state was defined on the basis of the spectral power density distribution of the EEG measured in the time interval of one second before the stimulus onset. The two state values were labeled by the state of alpha wave dominance and the state of non alpha wave dominance. According to the definition for the state of alpha wave dominance 70% of the whole spectral power must be contained in the frequency range from 8 Hz until 13 Hz at least. Otherwise the prestimulus EEG are labeled by the concept of non alpha wave state. The influence of the cognitive state and of the structural complexity on the evoked potentials has been verified experimentally. Significantly higher amplitudes of the evoked potentials in the time range of 140 ms until 200 ms after stimulus onset are due to higher complexity of the stimuli. The state of alpha wave dominance led to significantly stronger negativity of the evoked potentials in the range of 280 ms until 400 ms after stimulus onset.