FAST DECREMENT WITH STIMULUS REPETITION IN ERPS GENERATED BY NEURONAL SYSTEMS INVOLVING SOMATOSENSORY SI AND SII CORTICES - ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC EVOKED-RESPONSE RECORDINGS IN HUMANS

The effect of stimulus repetition (short trains of stimuli with 1-s inter-stimulus intervals and 15-s inter-train intervals) on both electric and magnetic evoked responses were studied in four subjects. In addition to the later N140 and P300 deflections in electric potentials, a distinct and immediate amplitude decrement was obtained also for the earlier P50 and P100 deflections. The magnetic evoked responses also demonstrated the amplitude decrement for 50 ms (M50) and 100 ms (M100) latency deflections. The time-course and degree of amplitude decrement of the M100 magnetic response corresponded especially well to those of P100 electric deflections. The results thus show the rate effect on electric and magnetic responses at 50 and 100 ms latencies, and further suggest that the electric and magnetic responses, reflecting the activation of somatosensory SI and SII cortical areas at these latencies, respectively, are generated by related neuronal mechanisms.