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Serial visual evoked potential recordings in Alzheimer's disease
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
|July 5, 1986
Summary
Primary presenile dementia, like Alzheimer's disease, slows flash visual evoked potentials but not pattern visual evoked potentials. This difference aids in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Electrophysiology
Background:
- Primary presenile dementia affects cognitive function.
- Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) assess visual pathway integrity.
Observation:
- A case study followed a 58-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease over 3.5 years.
- Flash VEPs showed progressive slowing, while pattern reversal VEPs remained normal.
Findings:
- Flash VEP slowing correlated with dementia severity.
- The combination of slowed flash VEP and normal pattern VEP appears specific to Alzheimer's disease.
Implications:
- Flash and pattern VEPs can be valuable tools for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease.
- VEPs offer a quantifiable measure to track disease progression.