A meta-analysis investigating factors underlying attrition rates in infant ERP studies

Dev Neuropsychol. 2012;37(3):226-52. doi: 10.1080/87565641.2012.654867.

Abstract

In this meta-analysis, we examined interrelationships between characteristics of infant event-related potential (ERP) studies and their attrition rates. One-hundred and forty-nine published studies provided information on 314 experimental groups of which 181 provided data on attrition. A random effects meta-analysis revealed a high average attrition rate of 49.2%. Additionally, we used meta-regression for 178 groups with attrition data to analyze which variables best explained attrition variance. Our main findings were that the nature of the stimuli-visual, auditory, or combined as well as if stimuli were animated-influenced exclusion rates from the final analysis and that infant age did not alter attrition rates.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain / physiology*
  • Data Collection / statistics & numerical data*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Evoked Potentials / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male