Does mismatch negativity show differences in reading-disabled children compared to normal children and children with attention deficit?
An auditory event-related potential (ERP) component called mismatch negativity (MMN) was examined in three groups of children (n = 63) aged 8-14 years. A control group comprised healthy children in second or sixth grade of comprehensive school (n = 21). The two clinical groups included children with reading disability (RD) (n = 21) and children with attention deficit (AD) (n = 21). MMN was elicited in a passive oddball paradigm by duration changes in a continuous sound, consisting of two alternating (600 and 800 Hz) 100 msec tones. The deviant tones were either 30 or 50 msec in duration. Both deviants elicited a clear MMN in all groups. Statistical analyses showed no systematic difference in the MMN peak latencies or amplitudes between the groups. A significant difference between the RD group and the control group was observed in the lateralization of the MMN peak amplitudes.
Huttunen
Tiina
T
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. tihuttun@psyka.jyu.fi
Halonen
Anne
A
Kaartinen
Jukka
J
Lyytinen
Heikki
H
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000502:physiology*; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology