title: Objective versus human observer detection of 40-Hz auditory-evoked potentials.
abstract: Magnitude-squared coherence (MSC) was used to detect 40-Hz auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs) in a two-alternative forced-choice experiment. MSC performance was found to be better than that of ten human observers. Experienced observers did not perform better than naive observers. In a "yes-no" experiment, observers demonstrated large differences in criterion, with false-positive rates of 2%-20%. Observers also performed better when AEPs were presented in a 50-ms window (two response cycles) than when presented in a 205-ms window (eight response cycles), although total test time was the same; MSC performed equally well in both cases. MSC provides a useful and objective adjunct to visual detection of 40-Hz AEPs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7777, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dobie
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation