LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN QUANTITATIVE EEG DURING LONG-TERM TACRINE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Quantitative EEG is a potentially useful tool in demonstrating the eff ects of treatments with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors on the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to define the profil e of EEG changes during tacrine longterm treatment, for 12 months we f ollowed 15 AD patients receiving an optimal individually tolerable dos e. After 3 months theta global field power (GFP) was significantly red uced, and after 6 months both theta and delta GFP decreased. Theta GFP was still reduced after 12 months of treatment when compared to the b aseline. Significant decreases in fast activities of beta 1 and beta 2 GFP were also observed. The untreated reference group (n = 10) did no t show any significant changes in GFP after 12 months follow-up, altho ugh generators of theta activity had a significant shift towards poste rior regions. These findings suggest that slowing in fast EEG frequenc ies during chronic treatment with AChE inhibitors may provide an early indicator of declining treatment efficiency. (C) 1998 Published by El sevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.