Maturational changes of 5 Hz SSVEPs elicited by intermittent photic stimulation

We investigated the development of the magnitude and phase alignment of steady-state visual evoked potentials induced by 5 Hz intermittent photic stimulation in 46 children (3 to 16 years) and 8 adults, as a function of age. We found that, over the occipital region, magnitude values were the highest in 8–11-year old children, but decreased with age over all other cerebral regions. Phase alignment values increased with age over the occipital, parietal and frontal cerebral regions. We interpret these findings in terms of the development of functional interactions between different cortical areas involved in the processing of visual stimuli. ►SSVEP phase alignment is a good marker of maturation of responses to IPS. ►5 Hz SSVEP phase alignment increases with age over occipital, parietal, frontal regions. ►5 Hz SSVEP magnitude decreases with age over parietal, temporal and frontal regions.