Abstract
Background
Individual differences in auditory processing have been associated with social withdrawal,
introversion, and other forms of dysfunction in social engagement. The goal of this
study was to investigate the characteristics of an electrophysiologic response that
is seen to index early cortical auditory processing (mismatch negativity, MMN) among
socially withdrawn and more sociable control children.
Methods
Auditory event-related potentials to standard and deviant tone stimuli were computed
for 23 socially withdrawn children and 22 control subjects. We calculated MMN difference
waveforms for frontal, central, and parietal electrode sites.
Results
Socially withdrawn children had smaller MMN amplitude and longer MMN latencies compared
with more sociable control children.
Conclusions
The findings point to the involvement of individual differences in early cortical
auditory processing in childhood social withdrawal. Reduced MMN amplitude and delayed
latency may index a component of social withdrawal seen in socially withdrawn children
and in depressed and schizophrenic patients. The existence of a secondary MMN generator
in the frontal cortex may provide a link between the hypothesized frontal lobe involvement
in childhood social withdrawal, schizophrenia, and depression and the MMN reductions
seen in these conditions.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 24,
2003
Received in revised form:
January 19,
2003
Received:
October 16,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
