Development of Simultaneous Measurement Techniques for Event-related fMRI and EEG and Observation of the Activation Process of P300

Abstract

In this study, techniques to measure EEG and fMRI simultaneously were investigated, from which P300 responses evoked by visual stimuli were examined. Event-related analysis was applied to combine high temporal resolution of EEG with high spatial resolution of fMRI, which may allow estimation of the temporal change of activation of multiple cortical areas. A time scheme of stimulus presentation and MRI scan was designed, considering the temporal delay between the generation of P300 potential and the BOLD response. Three pattern oddball paradigm using standard, target and novel letter stimuli was performed, in which subjects responded to the rare target-letters but not to frequent standard-and rare novel-letters. Noises arising from MR scan and cardio-ballistic artifacts were removed from the raw data of EEG by subtraction of the time-averaged waveforms of those artifacts. Comparing the grand average response of EEG evoked by target events with that evoked by standard events, a significant difference was found in latency range from 280 to 450 ms (P < 0.001). This enlarged response to the target corresponded to the late component, i. e., P3b, of P300. In the group study of BOLD responses, significant activation appeared in the occipital region, the parietal and temporal regions and the prefrontal cortex, some of which showed a laterality of right-hemisphere dominance. Based on the results of EEG topography during the period of P3b response, a temporal progression of the activations from the occipital visual cortex, via the temporoparietal and temporal regions to the prefrontal cortex was estimated.