Neural Correlates of Encoding Predict Infants' Memory in the Paired-Comparison Procedure

The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to monitor infant brain activity during the initial encoding of a previously novel visual stimulus, and examined whether ERP measures of encoding predicted infants' subsequent performance on a visual memory task (i.e., the paired-comparison task). A late slow wave component of the ERP measured at encoding predicted infants' immediate performance in the paired-comparison task: amplitude of the late slow wave at right-central and temporal leads decreased with stimulus repetition, and greater decreases at right-anterior-temporal leads during encoding were associated with better memory performance at test. By contrast, neither the amplitude nor latency of the negative central (Nc) component predicted infants' subsequent performance in the paired-comparison task. These findings are discussed with respect to a biased competition model of visual attention and memory.