title: Abnormal flash visual evoked response in melancholia: a replication study.
abstract: Grand mean flash visual evoked responses (FVER) were measured in two new groups of depressed patients with melancholia to replicate findings of an abnormal FVER in a previously reported pilot study (Vasile et al 1989). These different, independently collected groups of melancholic patients demonstrated a statistically significant negative deviation of the FVER 224-300 msec poststimulus maximal in the midline centroparietal region when compared with appropriate normative age-matched control groups (n = 56) in each group). We utilized the identical computer-based quantified neurophysiological technique with mapping to analyze the data in all three melancholic patient groups--the pilot group (n = 9) with mean age 73.1 years, an older replication group (n = 14) with mean age 75.5 years, and a younger replication group (n = 15) with mean age 63.8 years. We also studied a group of depressed patients without melancholia (n = 11) with mean age 65.2 years, and found a similar, but less pronounced, alteration of the FVER. Lastly, we studied a group of nondepressed neuropsychiatric patients (n = 10) with mean age 61.9 years and found no abnormality of the FVER. Our data suggest that a gradient of FVER abnormality exists in depressed patients, most prominent, but not limited to elderly melancholic patients.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Vasile
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McAnulty
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bloomingdale
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Schildkraut
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010865:Pilot Projects