Date of Graduation

Summer 2013

Degree

Master of Science in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Carly Yadon

Abstract

Sensory gating refers to the brain's ability to regulate responsiveness to incoming sensory stimuli. Extraneous information is filtered out, allowing the brain to allot greater resources to relevant sensory material. Sensory gating has been linked to many clinical disorders, including schizophrenia, panic disorder, and traumatic brain injury. However, poor sensory gating is also prevalent in otherwise healthy individuals. It is reasonable to hypothesize that the cognitive fragmentation associated with poor sensory gating will affect an individual's higher-level executive functioning. This study investigated the link between executive function and sensory gating. Fifty-one participants were administered an electroencephalogram (EEG) and a paired-tone paradigm to test gating, as well as the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) to measure executive function. Participants with better gating received higher overall executive function scores, r(41) = - .316, p = .039, and exhibited more impulsive problem-solving behaviors, r(41) = -.400, p = .008. Additionally, certain gating components were linked to lower level executive functions, R2 = .227, F(4, 37) = 2.713, p = .045. These results suggest that sensory gating and executive function may be related.

Keywords

sensory gating, executive function, EEG, ERP, D-KEFS, P50, N100, P200

Subject Categories

Psychology

Copyright

© Monica Leanne Truelove-Hill

Download

Campus Only

Share

COinS