While the advantages of CSD measures over the raw scalp potentials are well-established, there are some limitations in the CSD technique, which are outlined here so that further research efforts may be directed to address these issues. One of the limitations is the observation that there are no individually identifiable markers available for distinct clinical conditions in terms of specific CSD activation patterns and topography. Differences in subject groups and task paradigms may be one of the major reasons for the lack of disorder-specific CSD markers. On the other hand, seemingly inconsistent topographic patterns even between studies with similar clinical groups and ERP tasks [e.g., Cohen et al. (2002) and Rodriguez Holguin et al. (1999a) in alcoholics using visual oddball task; Hada et al. (2001) and Ramachandran et al. (1996) in children of alcoholics using auditory oddball task] could be due to variations in sample characteristics and other methodological factors (e.g., sample matching, signal processing parameters, etc.). Replication studies with identical methodology are required to validate the phenomena under study (e.g., sensory, cognitive, emotional phenomena) in a given neuropsychiatric condition
