Cognitive Event‐Related Brain Potentials in Children with Attention and Reading Deficits

Abstract

ERPs were recorded from four groups of children: reading disabled, attentional deficit disorder with and without hyperactivity, and normal controls. Subjects pressed a button to a low probability nonsense syllable (target, p= .168) and ignored all other events, which included a high probability nonsense syllable (nontarget, p= .664) and either low probability (category, p= .168) symbols (Block 1) or 3‐letter words (Block 2). The amplitudes of several late ERP components and the latency of the P3 component were examined. The overall amplitude of P3 was significantly smaller in all clinical groups than in controls, but the difference in P3 amplitude between targets and nontargets was smaller only in the two attentional deficit groups. Reading disabled children had smaller P3 and Pc components to words than to symbols, while controls had equivalent values. The N2 component had a different scalp distribution for words and symbols, but did not differentiate reading disabled children from controls. P3 latency was significantly longer in the three clinical groups than in controls, but only the attentional deficit groups showed an increase in P3 latency across blocks of the task. The results are discussed within the framework of recent cognitive models dealing with attentional processes.

Potencial evocado cognitivo e desordem de processamento auditivo em crianças com distúrbios de leitura e escrita

“…All subjects included in our study complained of poor school performance. Individuals in group A had greater P300 latencies and presented altered SSW and speech-in-noise test results, as also seen in studies on P300 results in children without signs of APD and children diagnosed with APD, in which longer latencies were observed in the group of children with APD [20][21][22][23][24][25] . Significant variability was seen in P300 results, and individuals with lower latency also performed better in AP tests 25 .…”

Developmental delay in P300 production in children at high risk for developing alcohol-related disorders

“…The question asked was not what the concurrent effect of psychopathology was on P300, but rather would the existence of an internalizing or externalizing disorder during childhood or adolescence alter the P300 growth trajectory. Several previous cross-sectional studies have shown that psychopathological states influence the amplitude of P300 both in children/adolescents (Courchesne 1984;Lincoln and Courchesne 1985;Holcomb et al 1985) and in adults (Bruder et al 1995;Steinhauer et al 1991;Blackwood et al 1987). The developmental course of P300 has not previously been assessed with respect to the presence of psychopathological conditions.…”

Prevalence and Assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Primary Care Settings

“…10,[57][58][59][60][61][62][63] Overall, no major EEG abnormalities (ie, evidence of seizure activity) were found for children with ADHD. Several investigations reported minor differences in ERPs functioning, including longer latencies at the P3 site, 57 longer latencies of certain waves for brainstem auditory-evoked potentials, 58 more slow waves and fewer ␣-waves, 59 and asymmetry in peak amplitude evoked-response potentials. 10 These findings are variable and do not provide any compelling evidence for a particular EEG pattern for patients with ADHD.…”