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A variety of neuroimaging tools are now available for use in studying neurodevelopment. In this article, we focus our attention on one such tool—the event-related potential (ERP). We begin by providing an overview of what ERPs are, their physiological basis, how they are recorded, and some constraints on their use. We then provide an abbreviated glossary of ERP components, that is, what processes are reflected in ERPs. We conclude by summarizing two areas of atypical development that have benefited from this method: children experiencing early psychosocial neglect, and children diagnosed with autism. We conclude by offering recommendations for future research.

Research has shown that inverting faces significantly disrupts the processing of configural information, leading to a face inversion effect. We recently used a contextual priming technique to show that the presence or absence of the face inversion effect can be determined via the top-down activation of face versus non-face processing systems [Ge, L., Wang, Z., McCleery, J., & Lee, K. (2006). Activation of face expertise and the inversion effect. Psychological Science, 17(1), 12-16]. In the current study, we replicate these findings using the same technique but under different conditions. We then extend these findings through the application of a neural network model of face and Chinese character expertise systems. Results provide support for the hypothesis that a specialized face expertise system develops through extensive training of the visual system with upright faces, and that top-down mechanisms are capable of influencing when this face expertise system is engaged.

Background A wealth of data has documented impairments in face processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Recently, the suggestion has been made that these impairments may arise from abnormal development of a subcortical system involved in face processing that originates in the magnocellular pathway of the primate visual system. Methods To test this developmental hypothesis, we obtained visual perceptual data from 6-month-old infants who were at risk for ASD because they had an older sibling diagnosed with the disorder ("high-risk infants"). To measure sensitivity of the magnocellular (M) pathway and, for comparison, of the parvocellular (P) visual pathway, we employed visual stimuli designed to selectively stimulate the two. Sensitivity data from high-risk infants ( n = 13) were compared with data from matched control infants (i.e., "low-risk" infants with no family history of ASD, n = 26). Results On the P pathway stimulus, high-risk infants exhibited sensitivities that were identical to those of control infants. By contrast, on the M pathway stimulus, high-risk infants exhibited sensitivities nearly twofold greater than those of control infants. Conclusions Given that ASD and its symptoms are known to run in families, these preliminary results suggest that ASD may be associated with abnormal M pathway function early in infancy, which may aid in early diagnosis of the disorder.

The current study investigated the properties of stimuli that lead to the activation of the human mirror neuron system, with an emphasis on those that are critically relevant for the perception of humanoid robots. Results suggest that robot actions, even those without objects, may activate the human mirror neuron system. Additionally, both volitional and nonvolitional human actions also appear to activate the mirror neuron system to relatively the same degree. Results from the current studies leave open the opportunity to use mirror neuron activation as a 'Turing test' for the development of truly humanoid robots.