Characteristic differences in somatosensory ERP components in Go/No-go paradigm between adolescents and adults

This study investigated developmental differences in motor execution and inhibition by comparing somatosensory event-related potentials (ERPs) between adolescents and young adults. Thirty-seven adolescents (14.7 ± 0.2 years) and thirty-seven adults (21.1 ± 1.4 years) performed a somatosensory Go/No-go task while ERPs were recorded at Fz, Cz, and Pz electrodes. We analyzed the latency and amplitude of N2, additional negativity (AN), and P3 components together with behavioral indices including reaction time (RT), RT variability, omission errors, and commission errors, and also examined the scalp distribution of the P3 amplitude. Adolescents showed significantly higher commission error rates than adults, whereas other behavioral indices were comparable. ERP analyses revealed enhanced AN amplitude at Fz and shorter N2 latency at Fz, Cz, and Pz only in adolescents compared with adults. Moreover, No-go-P3 in adolescents was more parietally distributed, whereas adults exhibited a more anterior distribution, suggesting greater prefrontal involvement in adults. These findings suggest that although the speed of sensory-cognitive processing reaches an adult-like level by adolescence, inhibitory control and its underlying neural mechanisms continue to mature during this period. While adolescents exhibit ERP-behavior relationships comparable with those of adults, they may rely on broader and less specialized neural networks, particularly for frontal inhibitory control. Overall, the present results highlight adolescence as a key transitional stage in the development of cognitive control, with important implications for understanding age-related changes in sensorimotor processing and inhibitory functions.