Electronics Department, School of Science and Technology, Aalto University, 00076 Aalto, Finland.
Clin Neurophysiol. 2011 Nov;122(11):2195-202. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2011.04.004. Epub 2011 May 13.
The aim was to study how the measurement error affects the repeatability of mismatch negativity (MMN) measurements.
Event-related potentials (ERPs) to changes in sound frequency, location, intensity, duration, and composition were recorded five times during 1-3 weeks from 13 healthy adults using a multi-feature MMN paradigm. The accumulation of MMN was modeled empirically with respect to measurement error, and repeatability was estimated at 0.6-3.5-μV error levels. The analysis was made for the results in the single deviant conditions and their pattern (auditory discrimination profile).
At the single-subject level, the measurement error significantly affected the repeatability until it went below 9-17% of MMN peak amplitude. At the group level, the threshold was higher. Peak amplitude was generally the most repeatable parameter. Latency was superior when the error was moderate or small (<2-3 μV).
The measurement error affects the repeatability of MMN. In single-subject studies, it should not be neglected if it exceeds 10% of the MMN amplitude. The application of the auditory discrimination profile is recommended for future applications.
The study provided quantitative results to support the discussion on improving the repeatability of the MMN measurements. They are expected to apply conditionally to other ERP measurements, too.
研究测量误差如何影响错配负波（MMN）测量的可重复性。
使用多特征 MMN 范式，在 1-3 周内，从 13 名健康成年人中记录了 5 次与声音频率、位置、强度、持续时间和组成变化相关的事件相关电位（ERP）。根据测量误差对 MMN 的积累进行了实证建模，并在 0.6-3.5-μV 误差水平下估计了可重复性。对单个偏差条件及其模式（听觉辨别特征）的结果进行了分析。
在个体水平上，测量误差显著影响了可重复性，直到误差低于 MMN 峰值幅度的 9-17%。在组水平上，阈值更高。峰值幅度通常是最可重复的参数。当误差适中或较小时（<2-3μV），潜伏期更优。
测量误差会影响 MMN 的可重复性。在单个体研究中，如果误差超过 MMN 幅度的 10%，则不应忽视。建议未来应用中使用听觉辨别特征。
该研究提供了定量结果，支持了关于提高 MMN 测量可重复性的讨论。它们有望有条件地应用于其他 ERP 测量。
