The electrophysiological correlates of auditory distraction

xxii, 171 p. : col. ill. ; 29 cmThis thesis used the electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure the electrophysiological correlates of auditory distraction. Chapter One determined that relative to broad-band noise, the presence of a continuous speech signal impaired task performance, attenuated the N1 peak and reduced theta/alpha band inter-trial phase coherence around the latency of the N1. Chapter Two found that reductions of inter-trial phase coherence during distraction were related to both disruptions of gain and the temporal fidelity of evoked responses. Chapter Three found that postsecondary adults with ADHD are not characterized by greater levels of distraction and that this population may be responding to sensory events with abnormally high phase locking. Chapter Three also found that Un-medicated ADHD adults had significantly more N1 latency, theta/alpha band evoked power than Medicated ADHD or Control groups. These results extend the literature on distraction by using time-frequency measures to assess how distraction modulates early sensory processing of stimulus events