P300 development from infancy to adolescence.

This article provides an overview of P300 research from infancy through adolescence. First, a brief historical overview is provided highlighting seminal studies that began exploration of the P300 component in developmental groups. Overall, these studies suggest that the P300 can be detected in children and appears to reflect similar cognitive processes to those in adults; however, it is significantly delayed in its latency to peak. Second, two striking findings from developmental research are the lack of a clear P300 component in infancy and differential electrophysiological responses to novel, unexpected stimuli in children, adolescents, and adults. Third, contemporary questions are described, which include P300‐like components in infancy, alteration of P300 in atypically developing groups, relations between P300 and behavior, individual differences of P300, and neural substrates of P300 across development. Finally, we conclude with comments regarding the power of a developmental perspective and suggestions for important issues that should be addressed in the next 50 years of P300 research. This article is the first to provide an overview of P300 research from infancy through adolescence. Given the vast amount of research on P300 during typical and atypical development, this article will serve as a useful summary of previous work and guide for future investigations. It includes a brief historical review of seminal studies and a summary of the most striking findings from developmental research. Contemporary questions are described and suggestions for future research are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]