title: The P300 component in sleep.
abstract: The present investigation utilized the P300 component of the auditory evoked potential as an index of information processing (discrimination) in sleep. Auditory evoked potentials were recorded to target and nontarget stimuli during sleep stages 3/4, 2 and REM under two probability conditions. Corresponding "nontone" waveforms were generated in each sleep stage, representing averaged EEG activity with no tones presented. Target P300 amplitude was higher than both corresponding "nontone" targets and tone nontargets. Probability did not affect the target-nontarget relationship. Latency of P300 increased and amplitude decreased from wakefulness through sleep; however, neither amplitude nor latency differed among sleep stages. Amplitude and latency of N200 increased during sleep. While N200 amplitude was highest in Stage 3-4, N200 latency did not differ among sleep stages. These findings suggest that the P300 recorded in sleep indexes similar cognitive processes as the P300 recorded in wakefulness. That P300 as well as N200 latency increased in sleep suggests that processes indexed by these components may slow during sleep.
authors.affiliation: Bowling Green State University, OH 43403.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Wesensten
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Badia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D004585:Electrooculography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*