Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026
07:39
How to Obtain Reliable Visual Event-related Potentials in Newborns
Published on: October 24, 2019
Maturation of visual evoked potentials across adolescence
Yatin Mahajan1, Genevieve McArthur
1ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia. yatin.mahajan@mq.edu.au
Brain & Development
|November 23, 2011
Summary
Visual processing in the brain continues to develop through adolescence. This study observed changes in visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in adolescents, indicating ongoing maturation of basic visual functions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Visual Neuroscience
Background:
- Adolescence is a critical period of brain development, marked by significant structural and functional changes.
- Understanding the maturation of sensory systems, like vision, during this transitional phase is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of functional visual processing throughout adolescence.
- To identify specific changes in visual evoked potentials (VEPs) during this period.
Main Methods:
- Measured visual evoked potentials (VEPs) using pattern reversal checkerboard stimuli.
- Analyzed VEP peak amplitudes and latencies in 90 adolescents (aged 10-18) and 10 adults.
- Examined changes in parvocellular and magnocellular visual pathways.
Main Results:
- VEP peaks N75 and P100 showed decreased amplitude across adolescence.
- VEP peak N135 exhibited a slight increase in amplitude.
- No significant changes in VEP peak latencies were observed during adolescence.
Conclusions:
- Basic visual sensory function undergoes continuous development during adolescence.
- Significant alterations in the brain's parvocellular and magnocellular visual pathways occur throughout adolescence.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Graded Potential
Graded potentials are localized fluctuations in the cell membrane's electrical charge, commonly found in the dendrites of neurons. The magnitude of these potential changes depends on the strength of the initiating stimulus. In a membrane at its resting potential, a graded potential signifies a voltage shift either above -70 mV or below -70 mV.
Graded potentials fall into two categories: depolarizing and hyperpolarizing. Depolarizing graded potentials typically occur when sodium (Na+) or calcium...
Graded potentials fall into two categories: depolarizing and hyperpolarizing. Depolarizing graded potentials typically occur when sodium (Na+) or calcium...
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the recognition that people have...