POSSIBLE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Visual-evoked potentials (VEP) to a flash were studied in the first-or der relatives of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (mean age 38.2 +/- 2.6 years) in comparison with the patients (mean age 61.9 +/- 1.4 years) and age-matched normal controls. It was found that in the rela tives of AD patients the latencies of N2, P3, N3 components were delay ed compared with the age-matched normal controls. The delay in the lat encies of the patients and their relatives concerned the same componen ts but was smaller in the relatives of AD patients. The amplitude of t he P2, N2 components was increased in the latter. The neurophysiologic al alteration in AD patients' relatives may be considered as signs of a latent neurodegeneration in limbico-reticulo-cortical pathways, whic h may be connected to the pathological hyperactivity of limbico-reticu lo-cortical structures.