title: P3 amplitude and time-on-task effects in distractible adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to examine the role of brain activity related to stimulus evaluation processes in distractibility by analyzing the P3 event-related potential.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the P3 response to target stimuli at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of a two-tone auditory oddball task in easily distractible (n = 16) and non-distractible (n = 16) adolescents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Easily distractible adolescents showed enhanced frontal and reduced parietal P3 amplitude across the blocks relative to non-distractible adolescents. Also, the usual decline in P3 amplitude at the end of the task was significantly larger in distractible than in non-distractible adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggests that the P3 effects are not limited to the neuropsychiatric disorders, and that increased distractibility may be characterized by reduced amount of resources allocated to the task with continued testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study contribute to elucidation of the functional basis of distractibility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 1777, 70211 Kuopio, Finland. sara.maatta@kuh.fi
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Määttä
authors.forename: Eila
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Herrgård
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saavalainen
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pääkkönen
authors.forename: Mervi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Könönen
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luoma
authors.forename: Eila
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laukkanen
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yppärilä
authors.forename: Juhani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Partanen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003118:Color Perception; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D014888:Wechsler Scales