Differences in semantic event-related potentials in learning-disabled, normal, and gifted children

Cortical event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded over FZ, CZ, and PZ scalp sites in 15 learning-disabled (LD), 14 gifted (G), and 13 normal control (N) children of ages 8-12. The common stimulus consisted of nouns presented 80 percent of the time; the target stimulus of animal names presented 20 per cent of the time. ERPs were averaged over subjects from 180 msec pre-stimulus to 900 msec post-stimulus. Principal components analysis was used to determine if there were amplitude differences at different post-stimulus latencies as a function of condition. Differences in ERP's between groups (LD, gifted, and controls), scalp locations, and common versus target stimuli were analyzed by ANOVAs. P3, Late, P2, and N1 components represented by four factors were identified. Significant differences between G and LD and the N and LD groups were found target stimulus at all central locations for the P3 component. Differences were found centrally between G and LD, G and N, and N and LD groups for the P2 component centrally. Other differences were found for the N1 and late components. These differences could be interpreted as a deficit in either attentional mechanisms or information processing for the LD group.