Our brains compare what we expect to see with what we actually see, helping us spot mistakes – that is, when sensory input is mismatched to our internal prediction. Prior studies identified frontal midline theta activity, with an overlapping N200 ERP, when the brain compares new information with its expectations. Using scalp EEG, we reveal that frontal midline theta supports mismatch detection and explains why some people are better at detecting mismatches than others. However, instead of the N200, we found a slower, positive ERP overlapping with the frontal mismatch response. Findings establish frontal midline theta as a marker of successful mismatch detection, challenge the domain-general role of the N200, and contribute to a growing literature about how we process information. Check out the preprint!
dynamic brain lab 