Comments on studies of event-related potentials in neuropsychiatric disorders of development

Significant advances have been made in this field and the research exhibits state-of-the-art methodological sophistication. The studies reviewed in this section build on methodological as well as conceptual progress in normative ERP research. It is encouraging that current advances in scoring and interpretation of ERP components are used to advantage in the studies discussed. Although these positive features of the studies reviewed prompt some optimism concerning present progress, considerable problems remain, including: interpretive ambiguities of cognitive ERP findings resulting from possible confounding of motivational factors with cognitive functioning; the adequacy of challenge posed by our tasks for subjects at varying levels of ability; the non-specificity of ERP abnormalities with respect to clinical groups; and methodological complications such as the scoring of 'missing' peaks and the increased variability of ERP results due to the use of wide age ranges.