Auditory development reflected by middle latency response.

The auditory middle latency response (MLR) seems to have a relatively long developmental time course, extending through the first decade of life. Characteristics of each MLR component change developmentally not only with respect to waveform morphology but also with respect to response reliability, dependence on awareness state, and stimulus rate. Both human and animal studies indicate that these complex changes may be a result of multiple generating systems that show multiple time courses of development. This framework has practical ramifications in that clinical and research studies of MLR in young children must take into account the development sequence. Furthermore, it cannot be assumed a priori that research results obtained from adults will apply to young children. The complexity of the process raises intriguing questions regarding the functional development of auditory perception.