title: Updating P300: an integrative theory of P3a and P3b.
abstract: The empirical and theoretical development of the P300 event-related brain potential (ERP) is reviewed by considering factors that contribute to its amplitude, latency, and general characteristics. The neuropsychological origins of the P3a and P3b subcomponents are detailed, and how target/standard discrimination difficulty modulates scalp topography is discussed. The neural loci of P3a and P3b generation are outlined, and a cognitive model is proffered: P3a originates from stimulus-driven frontal attention mechanisms during task processing, whereas P3b originates from temporal-parietal activity associated with attention and appears related to subsequent memory processing. Neurotransmitter actions associating P3a to frontal/dopaminergic and P3b to parietal/norepinephrine pathways are highlighted. Neuroinhibition is suggested as an overarching theoretical mechanism for P300, which is elicited when stimulus detection engages memory operations.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Electrophysiology Laboratory, Molecular and Integrative Neurosciences Department, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. polich@scripps.edu
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents