The effect of stimulus duration on the mismatch negativity of the auditory event-related potentials was studied in healthy children and those with attention-deficit symptoms. The minimum stimulus duration with which a MMN was elicited by frequency deviant was 50 ms in healthy children. The MMN was absent with shorter stimuli (11 ms and 30 ms). These parametres are close to those in adults. As to children with attention-deficit symptoms the MMN was insignificant with all tested stimulus durations (11 ms, 30 ms, 50 ms).