Averaged evoked potentials and frequency modulation.

Frequency modulated (FM) auditory stimuli result in average vertex potentials similar to the usual auditory average evoked potential (AEP). For stepwise increase or decrease in tone frequency the AEPs are similar. For FM stimuli modulated by pulses of different durations 'on' responses are evoked by the transition of the stimulus from the longer duration to the shorter duration frequency tone while 'off' responses result when the frequency transition is from the shorter to the longer duration tone. Ramp modulation of the stimulus frequency results in average evoked responses; the amplitude of these responses is proportional to the slope of the ramp as well as the frequency of the tone that precedes the ramp. Thus, if the tone preceding the ramp is also a ramp but of smaller slope the AEP is attenuated and with sufficiently large slope the AEP can be completely extinguished. No AEPs were obtained at the offset of ramp modulated stimuli. The standard deviation (S.D.) of the reaction time (RT) distributions to stimulus onset indicate that the AEP amplitude is inversely proportional to the S.D. values. Thus, the attenuation phenomena appeared to be related to the uncertainty of the subject as to the exact time the stimulus occurred, both of which seem to be the result of sensory difficulty to the type of stimuli used. AEPs to negative ramps were smaller than AEPs to positive ramps; this may be on account of the psychological inequality between the stimuli.