title: Psychometrics and event-related potentials in the diagnosis of dementia.
abstract: This study attempted to increase the reliability of predicting the normal latency of the P3 component in elderly adults. It was hypothesized this would allow a more accurate distinction to be made between normal adults (n = 20) and patients with dementia (n = 19) on the basis of observed P3 latencies. Two models for predicting latency were assessed. The first, which used age alone as a predictor, explained 18% of the normal variation in latency and misclassified 40% of the patients. The second model, which incorporated scores on psychometric tests, explained 74% of latency variation and misclassified 20% of the patients. Scores on the Similarities subtest of the WAIS and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, however, correctly identified 92% of the patients. This finding casts doubt on the justification of the P3 latency measures to diagnose dementia.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D014888:Wechsler Scales