Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: August 30, 2011
Event-related brain potential indices of cognitive function and brain resource reallocation during working memory in
Thomas J Covey1, Janet L Shucard1, David W Shucard1
1Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 114 Sherman Hall Annex, South Campus, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA; Neuroscience Program, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 114 Sherman Hall Annex, South Campus, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
Objective:
To examine event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) during a visual n-back working memory (WM) task, and test the hypothesis that compensatory brain function may be associated with variance in task performance in MS patients.
Methods:
Midline ERPs for 25MS patients and 18 HCs were obtained for a visual n-back task that placed increasing demands on WM. N-back behavioral measures and neuropsychological performance measures of WM were also obtained.
Results:
MS patients had slower reaction times (RTs) than HCs during the n-back task. Accuracy on the n-back and on neuropsychological tests did not differ between groups. P3 ERP amplitude decreased for both groups as WM demand increased. MS patients had lower overall P1 and P3 amplitudes compared to HCs. In MS, anteriorization of P3 amplitude was associated with better n-back performance. P1 and P3 amplitudes were also related to neuropsychological test performance in MS.
Conclusions:
MS patients had reduced ERP amplitude compared to HCs during the n-back, and changes in ERP anterior-posterior midline amplitude distribution in MS were associated with cognitive performance.
Significance:
ERPs, and in particular the P3 component obtained during a visual n-back task, are sensitive to subtle WM dysfunction in MS and may reflect compensatory reallocation of brain resources.
More Related Videos
06:37Electroencephalography Network Indices as Biomarkers of Upper Limb Impairment in Chronic Stroke
Published on: July 14, 2023
10:02Event Related Potentials ERPs and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD
Published on: March 12, 2020
