Event-related potentials in people at risk for vascular dementia.
This study examined the relationship between the integrity of cerebrovascular microcirculation, neuropsychological testing and event-related potential indices of cognitive functioning in a nonclinical group of participants being at risk for vascular dementia. Sonographic measures, magnetic resonance (MR) scans and ERPs were recorded in 30 participants treated for arterial hypertension, with no report of neurological or psychiatric disorders. As a sonographic measure of cerebral microcirculation, the arteriorvenous cerebral transit time (cTT) was recorded. While neuropsychological measures of memory functions and general mental ability functions did not show systematic correlations with the cTT and other measures of vascular pathology, a pronounced correlation was obtained between P3a latency and cTT. Participants with long cTT showed a delayed P3a. These findings suggest that the P3a is a sensitive measure for reduced cognitive functions even at early stages of cerebrovascular pathology and by this may be a valuable tool for the early identification of cognitive deficits in individuals being at risk for vascular dementia.
Mecklinger
Axel
A
Experimental Neuropsychology Unit, Saarland University, Germany. mecklinger@mx.uni-saarland.de
König
Stefanie
S
Ruffing
Nicole
N
Reith
Wolfgang
W
Müller
Martin
M
Kaul
Harald
H
Becker
Georg
G
Röll
Eva-Maria
EM
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004585:Electrooculography / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012306:Risk; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods