PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF QUANTITATIVE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY IN ALZHEIMER PATIENTS - PRELIMINARY-OBSERVATIONS

In 31 Alzheimer outpatients followed up for a mean time of 26.4 months the hypothesis that quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) could predict the loss of activities of daily living (ADL), the onset of inc ontinence, and death was tested by the Weibull proportional hazard mod el of 'lifereg' procedure of the Statistical Analysis System package. A central-posterior temporal region was considered in either side (pow er-weighted, log transformed relative values). Right delta predicted b oth the loss of ADL and death, whereas right theta predicted the onset of incontinence. Left values gave borderline significant results towa rd all end-points, whereas power-weighted mean frequency always gave b orderline results. The curves calculated for predicted times may be a valid support for the clinician in attempting prognostic judgments of disease evolution.