The Early Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) in Types of Visual and Auditory Sensory Information Processing during Spatial Decision-Making

One of the fundamental questions in sensory information processing research is whether experience and expertise can influence sensory-perceptual processing. The aim of the present study is to investigate component P1 based on event-related potential in the processing of visual, auditory, and audio-visual information during spatial decision-making in elite badminton players. The present study was a semi-experimental study with an applied objective and was conducted on 13 elite badminton players based on simple random sampling. Brain signals of badminton players were measured using a 30-channel active electroencephalography device with three blocks of 72 trials of visual, auditory, and visual-auditory stimuli based on four spatial decision-making conditions. Data analysis was performed using MATLAB and SPSS 26 software at a significance level of 0.05. For the early component P1 in the 40 to 120 millisecond range, differences were observed in peak latencies of the P1 wave between the Cz and F7 channels across three information processing, with a shorter latency observed in the audio-visual stimuli. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the peak amplitude of P1 in the Cz, Fz, Fc3, and F7 channels across three sensory conditions. Based on the model of cross-modal integration, elite individuals have utilized cognitive brain regions and attention allocation areas according to their level of expertise for processing multi-sensory and even unisensory information. Therefore, long-term reinforcement (sport experience) may potentially increase brain information processing speed during decision-making.