THE VALUE OF P300 IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN STROKE

The latency of the P300 and the simple reaction time (RT) generated by visual stimuli were investigated in a group of 43 healthy normals and in 24 stroke patients. The stroke patients were in a chronic phase of their disease. Twelve patients were without cognitive deficit, while 12 showed the symptoms of dementia. In the normals, P300 and RT showed a positive correlation with age. In comparing 12 age-matched normals with stroke patients with and without dementia, a similar latency of the P300 was found in the normals (347 msec) and in the stroke patients without dementia (349 msec). The patients with cognitive impairment showed a significant increase in their latency (434 msec). The RT was significantly different in the normals (421 msec) and stroke patients without dementia (533 msec) as well as in the stroke patients with dementia (663 msec). A significant correlation between the P300 and the RT was found. © 1990.