Event Related Potentials of Brain (CNV and P300) In A Paired Associate Learning Paradigm

Cortical electrical activity as reflected by CNV and P300 was examined in paired associate learning and discriminative reaction time paradigms. The CNV amplitude following the first of a pair of trigrams showed an inverse relationship to acquisition; P300 amplitude increased monotonically. Amplitude of both waveforms was larger in the central‐parietal area than the frontal area in the paired associate learning paradigm, while in the discriminative reaction time paradigm CNV was maximal in the frontal area and P300 was maximal in the parietal area. The CNV data are interpreted as reflecting early arousal and attentional processes, whereas P300 may reflect the subject's decision about the relevance of the stimulus.