Topography of afferent and efferent flows in the mechanisms of auditory selective attention.

The auditory evoked potentials (AEP) were recorded in 10 healthy subjects under the conditions of simple rhythmic stimulation and in an attention task. The mid- (10-60 msec) and long-latency (up to 400 msec) AEP were analyzed by mapping the evoked potentials and by assessment of their spatial-temporal characteristics. It is hypothesized that the interaction of the parietal and left-sided temporal and frontal divisions exert an efferent influence on the brainstem structures in the 15-35 msec time segment. The amplitude of the P90 and P250 waves is reduced in the attention task. The amplitude of the late component P350 increases mainly in the central and anterior divisions of the brain.