【Original Investigations】The relationship between stochastic resonance and neural activity of response inhibition

Some previous studies reported that memory performance and cognitive function were improved during hearing white noise, and this phenomenon was termed ‘Stochastic Resonance’. The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs), and investigated the relationship between stochastic resonance and neural activity of response inhibition. Thirteen females participated in this study. We set three noise levels of white noise (35, 55, and 75 dB), and the subjects performed a somatosensory Go/No-go task during hearing each white noise, separately. As the results, the amplitude of the N2d component, which was subtracted from No-go ERPs waveforms to Go ERPs waveforms, was significantly larger under the 55- than 75-dB condition. No significant differences in behavioral data involving the reaction time or error rate were observed among the three conditions. The findings suggest that 55-dB level of white noise was related to stochastic resonance in neural activity of response inhibition