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Comparison of the effects of Alzheimer's disease, normal aging and scopolamine on human transient visual evoked potentials

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Abstract

Transient visual evoked potentials elicited by the onset of a patterned stimulus were recorded in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD), in healthy elderly controls and in healthy young individual. The latencies and amplitudes of both the components studied were adversely affected by normal aging and one of the components, CI, but not the other, CII, showed further deterioration in AD. These changes occurred over a range of stimulus contrast levels. The changes found in AD, but not those seen in normal aging, could be mimicked by administration of the cholinergic antagonist scopolamine to young volunteers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, University of Wales College of Cardiff, P.O. Box 901, CF1 3YG, Cardiff, Wales, UK

    A. T. Smith & F. Early

  2. Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Whitchurch Hospital, CF4 7XB, Cardiff, Wales, UK

    G. H. Jones

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  1. A. T. Smith
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  2. F. Early
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  3. G. H. Jones
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Smith, A.T., Early, F. & Jones, G.H. Comparison of the effects of Alzheimer's disease, normal aging and scopolamine on human transient visual evoked potentials. Psychopharmacology 102, 535–543 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02247137

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02247137

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