Topographic distribution and developmental timecourse of auditory event-related potentials in two subtypes of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

The effect of age on the topographic distribution of auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded during a two-tone discrimination, or oddball, t ask was examined in two subtypes of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorde r (AD/HD) as defined by the most recent diagnostic manual, DSM-IV. EEG was recorded at 17 sites from AD/HD predominantly inattentive type (n = 50) and AD/HD combined type (n = 50) subjects aged from 8 to 17 years 11 months. E RP components were quantified at each site. Results revealed topographic di fferences from controls (n = 50) that were common to both subtypes (e.g. ta rget and standard P2 amplitude, and standard P2 latency) or unique to a par ticular subtype of AD/HD (Inattentive type: target N1, N2, P3b and standard N2 amplitude, target P2 latency; Combined type: target N1, P2, N2 and P3b amplitude, target N2 and standard NI latency). These group differences show ed different age effects. The across-region results revealed differing patt erns of abnormal component development for each subtype, indicating a quali tative difference in information processing stage deficits in each of these AD/HD subtypes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.