P300 latency and amplitude in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review

Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012 Jul-Aug;78(4):126-32. doi: 10.1590/S1808-86942012000400023.
[Article in English, Portuguese]

Abstract

The P300 plays a key role as a method for monitoring and evaluating dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: The goal of this study was to search for articles which analyzed P300 latency and amplitude values in Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: We searched in the following databases: Web of Science, Pub Med, Psyc Info, Medline, Biological Abstracts and Scielo using the following keywords: speed of information processing, processing speed, information processing, aged, older, elderly, older people, alzheimer dementia, alzheimer disease, Alzheimer and cross-references of selected articles.

Results: We found eight studies matching the inclusion criteria. These studies showed that there is a consensus on a P300 latency increase of elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease compared with subjects without the disease. However, it appears that, with respect to the P300 amplitude, there is still no consensus; however, it may be related to different methodological variables adopted in the reviewed studies.

Conclusion: There is a need to standardize the variables involved in P300 measurement for senior citizens with Alzheimer's disease in order to be able to compare P300 latency and amplitude values for this population.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology*
  • Event-Related Potentials, P300 / physiology*
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Reaction Time / physiology*