The omitted stimulus potential is related to the cognitive component of reaction time.

Omitted stimulus potentials (OSP) are waves that are considered to involve moderately high-level processing, but their relation to the cognitive, premotor component of reaction time (PMRT) to an omitted stimulus has not been examined. This relationship was tested in 20 participants who responded to an auditory omitted stimulus occurring in fast (7 Hz) and slow (.5 Hz) frequency trains while electrophysiological recordings provided measures of the OSP and EMG. In accord with the hypothesis, the time between the onset of the OSP and the EMG was strongly correlated to PMRT under both stimulus frequency conditions.