Event-related potentials for interaural time differences and spectral cues

Dichotic pitches and mistuned harmonics can each lead to the perception of one or two auditory objects. Comparison of event-related potentials for the perception of one versus two objects reveals an early negative and a late positive component. The relationship of these components with auditory segregation was further investigated using stimuli containing monaural spectral cues to pitch, binaural timing cues to pitch, or a combination of both, interleaved with control stimuli (no pitch). Stimuli containing timing cues or a combination of timing and spectral cues reliably elicited both components, which were of larger amplitude when both cues were present. For stimuli containing only spectral cues, the early component was attenuated in amplitude and no measurable late component was detected.