title: Visual discrimination performance is related to decreased alpha amplitude but increased phase locking.
abstract: This study investigated the question whether good and bad performance in a visual discrimination task is related to resting alpha power in a different way as it is known from memory tasks. The results show that good perceptual but not memory performance is related to low alpha amplitudes. In addition, we found that large phase resetting in the alpha band, and enhanced early components in the ERP are related to good performance in the discrimination task. The conclusion of this study is that in contrast to memory performance which is related to large resting alpha activity low alpha amplitudes are an indicator for good perceptual performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hanslmayr
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klimesch
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sauseng
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doppelmayr
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freunberger
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pecherstorfer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*