Event-related desynchronization (ERD) and synchronization (ERS) during auditory information processing

The present paper discusses event-related desynchronization and synchroniza tion (ERD/ERS) elicited by complex auditory stimulation. The auditorily eli cited ERD/ ERS of the 8-10 Hz and 10-12 Hz EEG frequencies do not reflect c ortical activity evoked by auditory stimulation ppi. se. Rather, they refle ct higher-level cognitive processes such as attention, memory functions and conscious stimulus discrimination. In contrast to visually elicited ERD/ER S, auditory stimulation during encoding elicits mainly ERS. Auditorily elic ited ERD is observed during stimulus retrieval and/or comparative processes . The differences between the auditorily elicited ERD/ ERS of the 8-10 Hz a nd 10-12 Hz EEG frequencies in association with stimulation type and experi mental condition support the assumption that these two EEG frequency bands reflect different aspects of auditory information processing.