Mismatch negativity (MMN): perspectives for application.

This article discusses the reasons of the wide applicability of the mismatch negativity (MMN) generated by the brain's automatic response to change in auditory stimulation. Essential here is that the MMN (and its magnetic equivalent MMNm) currently provides the only objective measure of the central auditory function. The MMN can be measured in the absence of attention and without any task requirements, which makes it particularly suitable for testing different clinical populations and infants.