Electrophysiological changes in children with learning and attentional abnormalities as a function of age: event-related potentials to an "oddball" paradigm.
This study investigated age-related electrophysiological differences between children diagnosed with Learning Disabilities (LD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), LD-ADHD and Conduct Disorder, using Event-Related Potentials recorded during a two-tone discrimination test. Although age-related (N1 and N2 amplitude), as well as diagnostic group-related (P3 latency and amplitude) ERP changes were found, there was no significant interaction between the diagnostic groups and age grouping. We conclude that: 1) Electrophysiological abnormalities in LD and ADHD do not significantly change with age during childhood. This study does not, therefore, support a hypothesis of age-related brain abnormalities in LD and ADHD. 2) Significant group differences for P3 latency and amplitude were found between normal children and the LD groups (LD and LD-ADHD), but not between normal children and those with ADHD alone, suggesting that main correlates of P3 abnormalities in these children are "processing" and not attentional problems.
Division of Pediatric Neurology, North Shore University Hospital, New York University School of Medicine, Manhasset 11030, USA.
Y
Y
Frank
J A
JA
Seiden
B
B
Napolitano
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*