The present report examines a possible co-maturation pattern between different frequency ranges on the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) during development in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. One hundred and sixty-seven subjects, between 6 and 26 years old were recorded during 3 min of spontaneous EEG. The power spectral density (PSD) logarithm was computed. There was a decrease in all frequency band ranges between 1 and 46 Hz. Correlation matrices for these frequencies were computed. A general trend of PSD correlation with neighboring frequencies was obtained. Furthermore, there was a high correlation during development between theta and beta ranges, and between high-beta and gamma frequency ranges. The correlation of theta versus beta was particularly high between the anterior and posterior electrode sites. Principal component analysis allowed the extraction of six components explaining the variance associated with the delta, theta, alpha, low-beta, high-beta and gamma ranges. Interestingly, the component explaining the theta rhythm also explained a fraction of the low-beta rhythm during development. The results suggest a pattern of co-maturation in the PSD of spontaneous EEG between theta and low-beta, and between high-beta and gamma, which would be due to the maturation of neural tissue underlying the sources of different frequencies. The possible functional role of theta-beta co-maturation in fronto-parietal electrode sites is suggested.

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BackgroundThe present study analyzes the development of ERPs related to the process of selecting targets based on their novelty.MethodsOne hundred and sixty-seven subjects from 6 to 26 years old were recorded with 30 electrodes during a visual target novelty paradigm.ResultsBehavioral results showed good performance in children that improved with age: a decrease in RTs and errors and an increase in the d′ sensitivity parameter with age were obtained. In addition, the C response bias parameter evolved from a conservative to a neutral bias with age. Fronto-polar Selection Positivity (FSP) was statistically significant in all the age groups when standards and targets were compared. There was a statistically significant difference in the posterior Selection Negativity (SN) between the target and standard conditions in all age groups. The P3a component obtained was statistically significant in the emergent adult (18–21 years) and young adult (22–26 years) groups. The modulation of the P3b component by novel targets was statistically significant in all the age groups, but it decreased in amplitude with age. Peak latencies of the FSP and P3b components decreased with age.ConclusionsThe results reveal differences in the ERP indexes for the cognitive evaluation of the stimuli presented, depending on the age of the subjects. The ability of the target condition to induce the modulation of the studied components would depend on the posterior-anterior gradient of cortex maturation and on the gradient of maturation of the low to higher order association areas.

Present study evaluates the changes and developmental trajectories of the attentional serial visual search and pre-attentional parallel search (pop-out) in situations in which a fast response is required. The hypothesis of present study are 1) that pre-attentional selection mechanisms develop before than serial attentional processes; 2) in the most difficult tasks, children prefer to adopt a non-responding strategy to an impulsive response patters; and 3) in speeded difficult discrimination tasks young children arrives to the criteria of correct performance in a broad temporal window. The results showed an inverse relationship between the age and the RTs and the different type of errors. For the present set of stimuli which produces an overcrowded scene and required a fast response, the behavioural trend of normal children is to the non-response pattern rather than to impulsive incorrect responses pattern. It can be suggested that young normal children present a broad temporal window to obtain the perceptual, motor and/or cognitive skills needed for responding adequately in a fast speeded discrimination task.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad PSI2010- 1752

Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of behavioral measures from two experimental tasks (Delayed Match-to-Sample and Oddball), and standard scores from a neuropsychological test battery (Working Memory Test Battery for Children) was performed on data from participants between 6-18 years old. The correlation analysis (p 1), the scores of the first extracted component were significantly correlated (p < .05) to most behavioral measures, suggesting some commonalities of the processes of age-related changes in the measured variables. The results suggest that this first component would be related to age but also to individual differences during the cognitive maturation process across childhood and adolescence stages. The fourth component would represent the speed-accuracy trade-off phenomenon as it presents loading components with different signs for reaction times and errors.