P300 from auditory and somatosensory stimuli: probability and inter-stimulus interval.

The P300 (P3) event-related brain potential (ERP) was elicited with auditory and somatosensory stimuli using an easy discrimination task in two experiments. Experiment 1 manipulated target stimulus probability (0.20 vs. 0.80). Experiment 2 manipulated inter-stimulus interval (2 s vs. 6 s) for both stimulus modalities in different conditions while keeping target probability constant. Probability and inter-stimulus interval had similar effects for auditory and somatosensory stimuli, with lower probability and longer inter-stimulus intervals producing larger P3 amplitudes. No statistically reliable differences in scalp distribution between modalities were obtained, with both modalities producing maximal amplitudes at Pz. The results suggest that auditory and somatosensory stimuli when used in a relatively easy discrimination task yield the same overall P3 values.