QUANTIFIED ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC CORRELATES OF RELATIVE FRONTAL OR PARIETAL HYPOPERFUSION IN DEMENTIA

The authors examined the presence of specific quantified electroenceph alographic (qEEG) changes in dementia patients with relatively lower f rontal or parietal blood perfusion as demonstrated by SPECT. Over all brain regions, patients with relatively lower parietal perfusion showe d significantly higher theta relative power than demented patients wit h relatively lower frontal perfusion or normal control subjects. Demen tia patients with relatively lower frontal perfusion showed no differe nces from age-comparable normal control subjects in qEEG variables. Th ese findings 1) suggest that usefulness of qEEG for the diagnosis of d ementia is restricted to a subgroup of patients with the typical SPECT pattern of parietal blood hypoperfusion and 2) demonstrate that the q EEG changes typical of dementia are not related to perfusion deficits in frontal brain areas.