Contributo dei potenziali evento-correlati (ERPs) e della scintigrafia cerebrale di perfusione (SPECT) 99mTc-HMPAO nella diagnosi clinica e neuropsicologica dei pazienti con Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Aim:The aim was to evaluate the contribution of cerebral perfusion SPECT data and ERPs recording as tools to serve the neuropsychological and clinical diagnosis in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).Methods:Forty-three patients (age 66.4±7.6; 12 men; MMSE 27.1±2.3; education 10.7±4.1) performed a selective neuropsychological battery to assess general cognitive status, short- and long-term verbal memory, general intelligence, constructional praxia and verbal fluency. All patients underwent ERPs recordings (N400 and P300) and 99mTcHMPAO SPECT.Results:Pathological performances were recorded in the following neurological tests: Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (45.0%), FAB (42.9%), Verbal Span (39.5%), Prose Recall (37.2%). The P300 and N400 were altered in 39.5% and 85.0% of the patients tested, respectively. Overall, a significantly higher regional hypoperfusion incidence was detected in all patients with a special interest of the limbic lobe bilaterally, the left frontal lobe (BA6,8,9,44) and of the left temporal lobe (BA20,22,38).Conclusion:According to our findings, MCI subjects show a significantly altered ERPs and SPECT pattern: the functional impairment is likely to precede detectable structural changes and cognitive deficit. Thus, the use of ERPs and SPECT might be considered as a valuable tool for clinicians to longitudinally screen and monitor subjects with memory disorders, so an early diagnosis of MCI might be able to predict the conversion from MCI to dementia.