Event-related Potentials Indicate Target Processing in the Absence of Distractor Suppression during Rapid Serial Visual Presentation

Background: In our modern world we are exposed to a steady stream of information containing important as well as irrelevant information. Therefore, our brains have to constantly select relevant over distracting items and further process the selected information. Whereas there is good evidence that even in rapid serial streams of presented information relevant targets can be actively selected, it is less clear whether and how distracting information is de-selected and suppressed in such scenarios. Methods: To address this issue we recorded electroencephalographic activity during a rapid serial visual presentation paradigm in which healthy, young human volunteers had to encode visual targets into short-term memory while salient visual distractors and neutral filler items needed to be ignored. Event-related potentials were analyzed in 3D source space and compared between stimulus types. Results: A negative wave between around 170 and 230 ms after stimulus onset resembling the N2pc component was identified that dissociated between target stimuli and distractors as well as filler items. This wave appears to reflect target selection processes. However, there was no electrophysiological signature identified that would indicate an active distractor suppression mechanism. Conclusions: The obtained results suggest that unlike in situations where target stimuli and distractors are presented simultaneously, targets can be selected without the need for active suppression of distracting information in serial presentations with a clear and regular temporal structure. It is assumed that temporal expectation supports efficient target selection by the brain.