DEVELOPMENTAL-CHANGES IN P300 WAVE ELICITED DURING 2 DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS

Age-related correlations on auditory event-related potentials were stu died using a task-relevant oddball paradigm in 175 normal subjects age d 4-21 years and age-related correlations in the ''ignore'' condition were studied in 108 normal subjects aged 1-21 years. In the ignore con dition, subjects more than 4 years of age were instructed to read a bo ok to divert attention from the auditory stimulus. From 4 to about 17 years of age, the latencies of task-relevant P300 in event-related pot entials (ERPs) gradually shortened. In the ignore condition experiment , the P300 latency shortened progressively, but stabilized at about 12 years of age, Whereas P300 in the ignore condition likely corresponds to P3a described previously (passive attention), the conventional P30 0 wave corresponds to P3b (active attention). The findings indicate a developmental difference between the P3a and P3b potential.