CHEMOSENSORY EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS CHANGE WITH AGE

The study examined age-related changes in the perception of olfactory and trigeminal chemical stimuli using chemosensory event-related poten tials (CSERP). Three groups of healthy volunteers, each comprised of 8 men and 8 women, were tested (age ranges 15-34, 35-54, and 55-74 year s). Subjects underwent extensive psychological testing focusing on imp airments of memory and attention. In addition, odor identification and discrimination ability was evaluated, as well as detection threshold sensitivity for two odorants. Odor discrimination scores exhibited a s ignificant age-related decrease. Significant age-related changes were also observed for CSERP N1P2 and P2 amplitudes, and for the N1 peak la tency. The age-related decrease of CSERP amplitudes appeared to follow a different time course for responses to trigeminal and olfactory sti mulants. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.