Publications 2014
300 Development across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Background: The P300 component of the event-related potential is a large
positive waveform that can be extracted from the ongoing
electroencephalogram using a two-stimuli oddball paradigm, and has been
associated with cognitive information processing (e.g. memory, attention,
executive function). This paper reviews the development of the auditory P300
across the lifespan.
Methodology/Principal Findings: A systematic review and meta-analysis on the P300 was performed including 75 studies (n = 2,811). Scopus was searched for studies using healthy subjects and that reported means of P300 latency and amplitude measured at Pz and mean age. These findings were validated in an independent, existing cross-sectional dataset including 1,572 participants from ages 6–87. Curve-fitting procedures were applied to obtain a model of P300 development across the lifespan. In both studies logarithmic Gaussian models fitted the latency and amplitude data best. The P300 latency and amplitude follow a maturational path from childhood to adolescence, resulting in a period that marks a plateau, after which degenerative effects begin. We were able to determine ages that mark a maximum (in P300 amplitude) or trough (in P300 latency) segregating maturational from degenerative stages. We found these points of deflection occurred at different ages.
Conclusions/Significance: It is hypothesized that latency and amplitude
index different aspects of brain maturation. The P300 latency possibly
indexes neural speed or brain efficiency. The P300 amplitude might index
neural power or cognitive resources, which increase with maturation.
See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P300_%28neuroscience%29
