Prognostic value of electrophysiological markers in Alzheimer's disease

The authors assessed the usefulness of event-related potentials (ERP) and flash visual evoked potentials (FVEP) as prognostic markers in a sample of 25 subjects with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). ERP and FVEP recordings were obtained from 21 and 23 subjects, respectively. Ranking of the annual rate of change in cognitive scales vs. baseline ERP/FVEP latencies was compared, and those with longer FVEP N(2) component latencies showed slower subsequent rates of decline (tau=0.32; z=2.16; P=0.015), suggesting that further study of FVEP responses as prognostic markers in AD is warranted.