Glucose and glucoregulatory modulation of memory scanning, event-related potentials and EEG in elderly subjects

Endogenous P300b event-related potential (ERP) and behavioral performance m easures, extracted during a: visual memory Scanning task, and spectral, ind ices of resting electroencephalographic (EEG;) activity, were assessed in 1 2 healthy elderly adults before and after double-blind oral administration of a placebo or glucose (50 mg) beverage. Glucoregulation was estimated by deriving a recovery index to categorize subjects as having: better (BR) or poorer (PR) blood glucose recovery. Although glucoregulatory status, did no t impact on EEG or task performance, PR subjects exhibited reduced P300b ar eas relative, to BR subjects prior to beverage administration. Glucose did not after P300b or memory scanning performance but, regardless of glucoregu latory status, it increased the EEG power in the slow alpha frequency band. The study results suggest that peripheral glucoregulation can influence ne uroelectric measures of cognition, and that the acute ingestion of glucose can modulate central arousal processes. Copyright (C) 2001 S. KargerAG, Bas el.