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Time–Frequency Analysis of Event-Related Potentials: A Brief Tutorial

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Abstract

Event-related potentials (ERPs) reflect cognitive processes and are usually analyzed in the so-called time domain. Additional information on cognitive functions can be assessed when analyzing ERPs in the frequency domain and treating them as event-related oscillations (EROs). This procedure results in frequency spectra but lacks information about the temporal dynamics of EROs. Here, we describe a method—called time–frequency analysis—that allows analyzing both the frequency of an ERO and its evolution over time. In a brief tutorial, the reader will learn how to use wavelet analysis in order to compute time–frequency transforms of ERP data. Basic steps as well as potential artifacts are described. Rather than in terms of formulas, descriptions are in textual form (written text) with numerous figures illustrating the topics. Recommendations on how to present frequency and time–frequency data in journal articles are provided. Finally, we briefly review studies that have applied time–frequency analysis to mismatch negativity paradigms. The deviant stimulus of such a paradigm evokes an ERO in the theta frequency band that is stronger than for the standard stimulus. Conversely, the standard stimulus evokes a stronger gamma-band response than does the deviant. This is interpreted in the context of the so-called match-and-utilization model.

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Notes

  1. Imagine that an EEG amplifier records technical noise with a spectral density of 0.01 µV/Hz. Then the noise in a frequency band that is 1 Hz wide would be 0.01 µV while it would be 0.1 µV in a band that is 10 Hz wide.

  2. A so-called complex number (z) consists of a real part (a) and an imaginary part (b) such that z=a + bi where i is the imaginary number that results from taking the square root of −1.

  3. The phase-locking factor can also be used to estimate the coherence between two electrodes that is believed to represent whether two brain regions are functionally coupled (i.e. work together). For the sake of brevity, we do not want to go into the details of coherence measures at this point. Good reviews on this topic can be found elsewhere (Varela et al. 2001; Siegel et al. 2012).

  4. Note, that typically two baseline corrections are carried out during a time–frequency analysis. First, a baseline subtraction in the time domain removes direct current (DC) components of the signal (i.e. constant offsets from zero). Subsequently, the time–frequency plot can either be represented as absolute values or with respect to a baseline in the time–frequency domain.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), grants RA 2357/1-1 (S.R., D.S.) and SFB/TRR 31 (C.S.H.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Experimental Psychology Lab, Department of Psychology, Cluster for Excellence “Hearing4all”, European Medical School, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany

    Christoph S. Herrmann, Stefan Rach, Johannes Vosskuhl & Daniel Strüber

  2. Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany

    Christoph S. Herrmann, Stefan Rach & Daniel Strüber

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  1. Christoph S. Herrmann
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  2. Stefan Rach
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Correspondence to Christoph S. Herrmann.

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This is one of several papers published together in Brain Topography in the “Special Issue: Mismatch Negativity”.

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Herrmann, C.S., Rach, S., Vosskuhl, J. et al. Time–Frequency Analysis of Event-Related Potentials: A Brief Tutorial. Brain Topogr 27, 438–450 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10548-013-0327-5

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