What is mismatch negativity (MMN) measuring in ERP responses?

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When evaluating what mismatch negativity (MMN) measures in ERP responses, we need to connect the phenomenon to its theoretical function in auditory processing.
Option 1: 'Neural sensitivity to any auditory stimulus' is too broad. MMN is not a general index of all auditory processing; it specifically signals the detection of change or deviation, not every single stimulus.
Option 2: 'The brain's detection of deviations from regular patterns' directly aligns with MMN literature, which describes MMN as an ERP component elicited when an auditory stimulus deviates from an established auditory regularity or pattern, reflecting automatic pre-attentive detection.
Option 3: 'Basic auditory processing speed' would refer to latency or conduction measures, not the deviance-detection mechanism that MMN indexes. MMN is about recognizing mismatch, not simply how fast sounds are processed.
Option 4: 'Language comprehension ability' is not what MMN indexes. While MMN can be modulated by linguistic context, its core function is pre-attentive detection of deviations, not higher-level language comprehension per se.
In sum, the most precise interpretation is that MMN reflects the brain’s automatic detection of deviations from established auditory regularities, rather than a general sensitivity to sounds, processing speed, or language comprehension alone.

PSC 135 001 SQ 2025 Lecture 28: Language Development

What is mismatch negativity (MMN) measuring in ERP responses?

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