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Visual Evoked Potentials in Elderly Patients with Primary or Multi-Infarct Dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Paul L. Furlong
Affiliation:
Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Vision Sciences, Aston University

Abstract

Flash and pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials (VEP) were recorded in 35 elderly patients with dementia, and 19 controls of equivalent age. Dementia produced a slowing of the major positive (P2) component of the flash VEP but did not affect the latency of the flash P1 component or the P100 pattern-reversal component. This unusual type of abnormality was found in both primary and multi-infarct types of dementia, and has previously been found in primary presenile dementia. The results show that the VEP can be used for the diagnosis of multi-infarct, and primary presenile and senile dementias.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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