Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

The ability to anticipate, attend and respond appropriately to specific stimuli is involved in the execution of everyday tasks. The current investigation examined the relations between cognitive skills measured by the NIH Toolbox and changes in the power of mu oscillations during anticipation of and in response to a tactile stimulus. Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was measured after a visuospatial cue directed adults (n=40) to monitor their right or left hand for upcoming tactile stimulation. In the 500 ms prior to the onset of the tactile stimulus, a desynchronization was apparent 8 – 14 Hz at contralateral central sites, consistent with prior investigations of mu rhythm; a widespread synchronization was apparent in the 250 ms proceeding delivery of the tactile stimulus. The extent of contralateral reduction in mu power was associated with speed processing ability, while ipsilateral mu power was associated with flanker performance and marginally correlated with card sort performance. Regression further probe the significance and specificity of these effects. Increases in mu power following onset of the tactile stimulus were not associated with any behavioral measures. Mu modulation during attention to a specific bodily location appears related to variability in the broader ability to regulate behavior in a goal- directed manner, and perhaps to speed of stimulus processing.