P3 SCALP TOPOGRAPHY TO TARGET AND NOVEL VISUAL-STIMULI IN CHILDREN OFALCOHOLICS

The P3 event-related potential (ERP) component was recorded from 7- to 18-year-old children of alcoholics (COAs, n = 50) and age-and sex-mat ched control children (n = 50) using a visual oddball paradigm, involv ing nontarget (76%), target (12%), and novel (12%) stimuli. Topographi c maps of P3 and associated scalp current density were obtained to sup plement a topographic profile analysis. COAs manifested a smaller ampl itude P3 to target stimuli over the centroparietal, parietal, and occi pital scalp locations than controls. Also, COAs exhibited a smaller am plitude P3 to novel stimuli over the occipital scalp than controls. Th ere were no significant differences between COAs and controls in the P 3 scalp topography, indicating that differences in intracranial source strength rather than in source configuration were responsible for the between-group amplitude differences. Also, no significant group diffe rences were observed in the P3 peak latency or in behavioral performan ce. These results support the notion that the visual P3 may provide a vulnerability marker of alcoholism. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.