Definition of Mismatch negativity
The mismatch negativity (MMN) or mismatch field (MMF) is a component of the event-related potential (ERP) to an odd stimulus in a sequence of stimuli. It arises from electrical activity in the brain and is studied within the field of cognitive neuroscience and psychology. It can occur in any sensory system, but has most frequently been studied for hearing and for vision, in which case it is abbreviated to vMMN. The (v)MMN occurs after an infrequent change in a repetitive sequence of stimuli (sometimes the entire sequence is called an oddball sequence.) For example, a rare deviant (d) stimulus can be interspersed among a series of frequent standard (s) stimuli (e.g., s s s s s s s s s d s s s s s s d s s s d s s s s...). In hearing, a deviant sound can differ from the standards in one or more perceptual features such as pitch, duration, loudness, or location. The MMN can be elicited regardless of whether someone is paying attention to the sequence. During auditory sequences, a person can be reading or watching a silent subtitled movie, yet still show a clear MMN. In the case of visual stimuli, the MMN occurs after an infrequent change in a repetitive sequence of images.
MMN refers to the mismatch response in electroencephalography (EEG); MMF or MMNM refer to the mismatch response in magnetoencephalography (MEG).
Related terms
Auditory event
Auditory events describe the subjective perception, when listening to a certain sound…
Brainstem auditory evoked potential
In human neuroanatomy, brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), also called…
Frequency following response
The frequency following response (FFR), also referred to as frequency following…
Acoustic theory
Acoustic theory is a scientific field that relates to the description of sound waves. It…
Inward light
Inward light, Light of God, Light of Christ, Christ within, That of God, Spirit of God…
Safe listening
Safe listening is a framework for health promotion actions to ensure that sound-related…
Acoustoelastic effect
The acoustoelastic effect is how the sound velocities (both longitudinal and shear wave…
Angular spectrum method
The angular spectrum method is a technique for modeling the propagation of a wave field…
Place theory
Place theory is a theory of hearing that states that our perception of sound depends on…
Frequently asked questions
What is Mismatch negativity?
The mismatch negativity (MMN) or mismatch field (MMF) is a component of the event-related potential (ERP) to an odd stimulus in a sequence of stimuli.