EEG and visual evoked responses in children with learning disorders

A study was made of 58 children with learning disorders, in all of whom a spontaneous EEG as well as a Visual Evoked Response (VER) was registered. The latencies in the secondary complex of the VER were increased and the amplitudes of waves II and III were increased as compared with normal subjects. Two subgroups--children with a good and children with a poor clinical test score--did not differ in VER parameters. A spontaneous EEG evaluated as abnormal was present in 45% of the children. These children showed more absence of peaks in both VER complexes and more increased latencies in the primary complex than children with a normal EEG. The findings show that the VER is a valuable supplement to EEG in demonstrating organic changes in children with learning disorders.