Recognition memory for words and event-related potentials: a comparison of normal and disabled readers

Visual event-related potentials elicited during a word-recognition memory task were examined for groups of normal and disabled readers (RD). The strong association of reading ability with recognition memory performance endorsed the appropriateness of this signal detection paradigm as a reading-related task. Enhanced amplitude of the P200 component for the RD group was evident during both the acquisition and recognition series and it is indicative of differences at an early sensory stage of item encoding and retrieval. Normal readers displayed greater N400 amplitude than the RD group during both the acquisition and recognition series, an effect which is consistent with more extensive semantic evaluation or memory search that is attributed to that component. In the absence of any remarkable differences in P300 amplitude between groups, the poorer recognition memory performance for the RD group may not be attributable to attentional deficits.