Scalp topography of the short-latency components of the respiratory-related evoked potential in children

Repiratory-related evoked potentials (RREPs) have been elicited by inspiratory occlusion and recorded at electroencephalographic (EEG) sites overlying the somatosensory cortex in adults. The present study was the first to be conducted in normal children and was designed to identify the scalp distribution of the early RREP components. EEG responses to occlusion were recorded from C-Z-C-3, C-Z-C-4, and 17 sites referenced to the linked earlobes. The RREP was observed in all subjects in the C-Z-C-3 and C-Z-C-4 electrode pairs. The earlobe-referenced recordings revealed two RREP patterns. The P-1 and N-1 peaks were found in C-3, C-4, P-3, P-4, T-3, and T-4. The RREPs recorded from the F-3, F-4, F-7, and F-8 electrodes did not exhibit either the P-1 or N-1 peaks. A negative peak (N-F) occurred similar to 13 ms after the P-1 peak. The results show that the RREPs to inspiratory occlusions were present bilaterally but diminished greatly over midline sites. Furthermore, consistent with mechanically and electrically elicited somatosensory evoked potentials, the RREP displayed a polarity inversion over the central sulcus in the early component latency range.