Multistabile Wahrnehmung bei Kindern: Eine EEG-Studie

Multistable perception occurs when reversible patterns are presented in the absence of changes in the stimuli properties. The aim of the study was to examine age-related changes in brain activity associated with multistable perception. Fourteen 10-year old children observed an ambiguous pattern, known as the stroboscopic alternative motion (SAM) and were instructed to press a button following each reversal. The results showed the occurrence of a slow positive wave about 100 ms prior to the button-press. The amplitude of the component revealed a strong posterior topography. The positive wave induced by the SAM, did not differ from a slow wave elicited by a stimulus-driven control paradigm, whereas the adult brains strongly differentiate between internal and external generated perception. Moreover, the children seem to be incapable to produce a stable reversal related component over frontal areas, which reflect the yet insufficient integration of these areas into the entire brain work.