A systematic review of the maturation of selected cortical auditory event-related potentials in passive paradigms: Developmental changes from infancy to early adulthood

Electroencephalography (EEG) offers a unique window into the neural dynamics of cognition, particularly through event-related potentials (ERPs) that index sensory, attentional, and cognitive processes. EEG and ERP measures are widely used to study atypical neurodevelopment in children due to their sensitivity to disruptions caused by genetic and acquired brain disorders. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the typical presentation of four core cortical auditory and language-related ERP components, extracted during passive paradigms, from infancy to early adulthood. These components reflect neural responses to the passive perception of discrete stimuli (N100), the automatic detection of deviant stimuli (Mismatch Negativity (MMN), sometimes in children referred to as the Mismatch Response (MMR)), the allocation of attention to deviant stimuli (P3a), and language processing of discrete stimuli (N400). Drawing from 62 studies, many of which reported on a single component within a specific age range, we chart developmental trajectories of ERP latencies, amplitudes, and scalp topographies. Across all components, latency tended to decrease with increasing age. Amplitude trajectories varied: N100 amplitude tended to decrease; MMN amplitude remained relatively stable or showed a slight decline; P3a amplitude typically increased during early childhood before decreasing in adolescence; N400 amplitude consistently declined. Scalp topographical reports, among all components, revealed a shift toward increased focal activation with increasing age. Together, these findings provide a normative foundation for acoustic and auditory language processing in the context of the selected components in typical development, serving as a necessary reference point for understanding and assessing atypical development.