On the use of the P300 as a tool for cognitive processing assessment in healthy aging: A review

Abstract

Changes in patterns of performance for the cognitive functions of memory, processing speed, and focused attention are expected in old age.Objective:The main goal of this systematic review was to analyze the use of ERP in healthy elderly in studies evaluating the P300 components.Methods:A systematic review was carried out based on recommendations for nursing research on the databases LILACS, PsycINFO, PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science.Results:26 studies involving 940 healthy elderly were identified, most of which sought to identify and determine the influence of age on the P300.Conclusion:Although there is consensus in the literature that P300 latency is significantly longer in elderly with psychiatric disorders compared to healthy elderly, it was not possible to conclude P300 associations with gender, education and other cognitive tests.

Relationship between cognitive processing, language and verbal fluency among elderly individuals

“…Latency refers to the temporal processing of information and amplitude is a variable related to attention level. There is evidence that cognitive processing changes with age, leading to increased latency and decreased amplitude 6 , 11…”

“…There is evidence that cognitive processing declines with aging,6 which would explain the difficulty in performing tasks that require speed, concentration, and inductive reasoning, while tasks such as reading, understanding or memorizing, take longer 7. It is however, necessary to clearly understand how the brain of a healthy elderly individual works in order to identify when symptoms such as slowness, difficulties performing simultaneous tasks or recalling recent facts indicate pathological cognitive changes 8 - 11…”

Aging Alters Olfactory Bulb Network Oscillations and Connectivity: Relevance for Aging-Related Neurodegeneration Studies

“…The reduced coherence associated with pronounced weak strength of the theta-gamma PAC coupling in aged mice animals indicates that gamma is likely to be slower as a result of changes in the response of GABAergic neurons to glutamatergic signals. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying the deficit in high frequency oscillations may be related to age reduction in axon myelination, which may slow the conduction speed observed also in event related potentials [93,94].…”

Social support and cognitive processing among elderly caregivers and non-caregivers of other elderly persons

“…However, G2 had higher means in Pz Latency, Fz Amplitude, Cz Amplitude and Pz Amplitude. A systematic review by Pavarini et al 17 identified 26 studies that together involved 940 healthy elderly individuals, most of which sought to identify and determine how P300 is influenced by age. The results showed that P300 amplitude values ranged from 2.2 μV to 18.5 μV, while in the present study the variation in G1 was (-1.7) to 15, (-3.4) to 18 and (-2.9) to 18, for Fz Amplitude, Cz Amplitude and Pz Amplitude, respectively, and the variation in G2 was (-1.3) to 16, (-1.5) to 21 and (-1) to 19 for the same amplitudes.…”

“…The peak latency of P300 can range from 270 to 470 ms, depending on the proposed activity, although maximum amplitude occurs at about 300 ms 14,16 . A review by Pavarini et al 17 found that, for healthy elderly persons, amplitude values ranged from 2.2 μV to 18.5 μV and, for latency, from 320 ms to 484 ms.…”