Cognitive impairment after acute encephalitis: an ERP study.
Cognitive deficits are often observed during the acute stage of encephalitis. It is presumed, that they persist and influence the long-term outcome, but data are very limited. Forty-seven patients with a definite or highly probable diagnosis of acute encephalitis were identified through retrospective analysis and prospectively followed up 6-84 months after the acute illness. P3 was carried out by oddball auditory paradigm, and P3 latency was measured as a marker of cognitive impairment. Healthy people, who matched the patients in age, were used as controls (n = 39). Statistical group analysis revealed no significant difference of the P3 latency between the patient and the control group. However a subgroup analysis showed significant longer P3 latencies in patients with a more unfavorable functional outcome at the time of follow-up. Patients with Herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis had also more often abnormal P3 values compared to other etiologic subgroups, potentially indicating a higher percentage of patients with unfavorable cognitive outcome in this subgroup.
Department of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Charité, Berlin, Germany. katrin.hahn@charite.de
Katrin
K
Hahn
Eva K
EK
Schildmann
Christine
C
Baumeister
Isabell von
Iv
Seggern
Eva
E
Schielke
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult