Cross-sectional study of neuropsychological assessment and auditory event-related potentials in elderly healthy controls and mild cognitive impairment patients

Objective: In this study, it is aimed to investigate neuropsychological assessments and event-related potentials (ERP) of diagnosed Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients and elderly healthy controls. First aim is to compare neuropsychological tests of the two groups. Secondly, findings on differences between patients and controls in the way of the amplitude and latency values of ERPs are aimed. Lastly, it is predicted that neuropsychological performances and ERP values correlate.Method: 28 MCI patients according to Petersen?s criteria and 20 healthy controls were gone under neuropsychological assessment and their ERP values were analyzed upon application of an auditory oddball paradigm. The recordings were done from F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, TP7, TP8, P3, Pz, P4, O1, Oz and O2 scalp electrodes in pursuant of international 10-20 system. Data analysis were done by independent samples t-test, mixed-design ANOVA, paired t-test and Pearson?s correlation coefficient (r).Results: Analysis of neuropsychological assessment showed that memeory and executive function test scores differs significantly between groups. According to electrode locations; neither P300 amplitude nor P300 latency values differs between groups. However, independently of group effect, P300 amplitude and lateny values differs in different locations. Lastly, moderated correlations between neuropsychological tests and amplitude and latency values in some electrode channels were found.Conclusion: Neuropsychological differences between test groups are coherent with the literature. However, parallel to neurospsychological assessment, the predicted decay and delay in ERP responses are not observed in MCI patients. Any group differences of amplitude and latency are not found, as expected.Key Words: Mild Cognitive Impairment, Neuropsychological Assessment, ERP, P300