In this study, we explored the effects of flash
intensity and age on visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) in
a sample of 85 children aged 8–15 years. Results
of previous studies are discrepant regarding the extent
to which children show an evoked potential augmenting tendency
at vertex, which has been reported to be a characteristic
of an immature inhibitory control system. In the present
study, VEPs to light flashes of four different intensities
were recorded at Cz. The results confirmed that P1N1 and
N1P2 at Cz were positively related to increases in stimulus
intensity, whereas N1 was not related reliably to intensity.
This difference between peak–peak and baseline–peak
amplitude findings at Cz relative to evoked potential augmenting
and reducing may help to explain discrepant results among
earlier studies. Developmental changes were found for our
sample of children that were independent of stimulus intensity:
N1 amplitude increased significantly with age, whereas
N1 latency showed a small (nonsignificant) age-related
decrease.