title: Mild cognitive impairment and event-related potentials in patients with cerebral atrophy and leukoaraiosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The influence of cerebral atrophy and leukoaraiosis (LA) on the degree and profile of cognitive impairment remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of the study was to assess neuropsychological features of cognitive performance and parameters of event-related potentials (ERP) in subjects with generalised cerebral atrophy and LA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Neurology, University of Medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients with LA and/or cerebral atrophy and twenty controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neuropsychological testing (NT) included Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) and Trail Making Test (TMT). Auditory ERPs were performed and parameters of the N2 and P3 components were compared in the patients and controls. Relationships were analysed between radiological indices of atrophy and LA, and NT and ERP results. Results of NT suggested generalised mild cognitive impairment in all the patients. P3 and N2 latencies were longer in the patients than in controls, especially in the LA subgroup. Correlations were found for indices of atrophy, AVLT and ERP parameters. There was a predominant influence of age upon ERP parameters and radiological indices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cerebral atrophy and LA result in deficits in memory and attention. NT and ERP may be used as complementary methods in the assessment of cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral atrophy and LA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Medicine in Wroclaw, Borowska 213, 50-556, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Podemski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pokryszko-Dragan
authors.forename: Mieszko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zagrajek
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Słotwiński
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilińska
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasiadek
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Filarski
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mazur
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed