Characterizing of Cognitive Processes by Means of Event Related Potentials

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the characterizing of cognitive processes by means of event-related potentials. The application of psycho–physiological methods to the analysis of cognitive processes is also discussed. The basic research for the creation of methodical suppositions for experiments in this field is essential at present. There are many results for the modification of certain components of evoked potentials (EP) to sensory stimuli in dependence by parameters of processing information or the central nervous state of the subjects (Ss). In all these experiments besides a general activation dimension an additional one is only used in the interpretation. The differentiation capacity of EP must be assessed as relatively limited because of their unspecific character. The conventional method of the consideration of modification of direct sensory evoked potentials through central nervous state changes in connection with processes under investigation. The approach used to stimulus independent representation of cognitive operations in event related potentials is the use of a stimulus of small intensity with additional habituation, which triggered the cognitive process as to time.