The development of P50 suppression in the auditory event-related potential

The development of P50 suppression in the auditory event-related potential was examined in 32 participants aged 7-13 years and the relation of P50 suppression to individual differences in social withdrawal was investigated. Auditory click pairs were presented binaurally and the amplitude of the P50 component was measured for the two clicks. Across the whole sample, P50 amplitude to the second click was significantly smaller than P50 amplitude to the first click, although around one third of participants showed augmentation of the P50 to the second click. For the children who showed P50 suppression, the magnitude of P50 suppression increased with age and reached adult levels in the oldest participants. P50 suppression did not vary with the extent of social withdrawal behaviors.