title: Atypical brain activation in children who stutter in a visual Go/Nogo task: An ERP study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate inhibitory control by evaluating possible differences in the strength and distribution of the brain activity in a visual Go/Nogo task in children who stutter (CWS) compared to typically developing children (TDC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven CWS and 19 TDC participated. Event related potentials (ERP) were recorded using a 64-channel EEG-cap during an equiprobable visual Go/Nogo task. The global field power (GFP) as well as the mean amplitudes in the P3 time frame were compared between groups. Additionally, the potential maps of the groups were investigated visually in the N2 and P3 time windows.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The groups differed significantly in the right frontal area especially in the Nogo condition (p<0.001) with CWS showing smaller (less positive) mean amplitudes, most likely due to a prolonged and asymmetrical N2 component. Also the fronto-central Nogo P3 component was rather indistinct in CWS, but easily recognizable in TDC in the potential maps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CWS show atypical brain activation compared to the TDC in a Go/Nogo task as indexed by the excessive N2-related activity in both conditions and reduced P3-related activity in Nogo condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate atypical stimulus evaluation and response inhibition processes in CWS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland; Medical Imaging Physics and Technology-Research Group, University of Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: Johanna.Piispala@ppshp.fi.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piispala
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: Sara.Maatta@kuh.fi.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Määttä
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: Ari.Paakkonen@kuh.fi.
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pääkkönen
authors.affiliation: Medical Informatics and Statistics Research Group, University of Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: risto.bloigu@oulu.fi.
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bloigu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Finland; Medical Imaging Physics and Technology-Research Group, University of Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: Mika.Kallio@oulu.fi.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kallio
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Finland. Electronic address: eira.jansson-verkasalo@utu.fi.
authors.forename: Eira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jansson-Verkasalo
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D013342:Stuttering / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Children; Event related potential; Go/Nogo; Inhibitory control; Stimulus evaluation; Stuttering