Separate brain potential characteristics in children with reading disability and attention deficit disorder: relevance-independent effects.

The effects of reading disability (RD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) on event-related potentials (ERPs) were investigated in 52 boys between 8 and 12 years of age. There were four groups: 25 children without RD divided into two groups (17 without ADD and 8 with ADD) and 27 children with RD divided into two groups (11 without ADD and 16 with ADD). The children participated in three tasks ("games") designed to assess selective attention to the color black (vs white), to any of two letters (vs. two patterns), and to any of 12 letters (vs. 12 patterns). ERPs were recorded over the left and right occipital, central, and frontal hemispheres. Children with RD as compared to those without RD were characterized by the following ERPs: (1) a smaller amplitude positive wave at about 240 msec (P240) over the left central hemisphere: (2) a smaller amplitude positive wave at about 500 msec (P500) over the right central hemisphere: (3) a larger P500 over the right central hemisphere: (3) a larger P500 over both left and right occipital hemispheres: and (4) smaller within-subject-and-condition variability of ERP waveform. These effects did not differ significantly for the three games and, therefore, were not specific to letter processing per se. The effects of RD did not interact with the effects of ADD for the most part. The ERPs clearly indicated these two disorders, in part, involve different underlying brain processes.