Semantic processing and ERP responses in mild cognitive impairment (MCI): A scoping review article

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia and is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Event-related potentials (ERPs) provide sensitive measures of neural processing and may detect cognitive dysfunction before it is evident on behavioral assessment. This review examined ERP studies of language processing in individuals with MCI compared with healthy elderly (HE) participants.

A scoping review was conducted according to the Arksey and O'Malley framework and reported following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PsycINFO and PubMed were searched for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2000 and April 2025. Studies employing ERP measures during language-based tasks in MCI and HE groups were included.

Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Across a range of language paradigms, individuals with MCI showed alterations in ERP components associated with semantic and memory processing, particularly the N400, frontal N400 (FN400), Late Positive Component (LPC/P600), N200, and P300. Common findings included reduced amplitudes, prolonged latencies, and altered scalp distributions relative to HE participants. Several studies reported ERP abnormalities despite comparable behavioral performance, suggesting that electrophysiological measures may reveal subtle cognitive dysfunction not captured by conventional neuropsychological testing. Longitudinal evidence further indicated that abnormal N400 and LPC responses may predict progression to Alzheimer's disease.

ERP measures consistently differentiate MCI from healthy aging and represent promising non-invasive biomarkers for detecting early cognitive decline and monitoring disease progression.