Journal of Alzheimers Disease & Parkinsonism
Open Access

Research Article

Visual Evoked Potentials in Alzheimer's Disease: Electrophysiological Study of the Visual Pathways and Neuropsychological Correlates

Roberta Ciuffini^1,3*, Alfonso Marrelli¹,Stefano Necozione², Carmine Marini³, Alessandra Cavicchio ³, Gianfranco Amicosante⁴ and Paolo Aloisi¹

¹Operative Unit of Neurophysiopathology San Salvatore Hospital, Italy

²Clinical Epidemiology, Italy

³Neurology Unit, Italy

⁴University of L’Aquila - Italy

Corresponding Author:

Roberta Ciuffini
Department of Neurology - U.O. di Neurofisiopatologia Ospedale San Salvatore
67010 Coppito L’Aquila, ltaly
E-mail: roberta.ciuffini@cc.univaq.it

Received date: August 01, 2014; Accepted date: October 01, 2014; Published date: October 06, 2014

Citation: Ciuffini R, Marrelli A, Necozione S, Marini C, Cavicchio A, et al. (2014) Visual Evoked Potentials in Alzheimer’s Disease: Electrophysiological Study of the Visual Pathways and Neuropsychological Correlates. J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism 4:158. doi: 10.4172/2161-0460.1000158

Copyright: © 2014 Ciuffini R, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author andource are credited.

Visual Evoked Potentials [VEP] abnormalities are reported in Alzheimer’s Disease [AD] patients. It is necessary to understand the pathophysiology, clinical relevance and the relationship with the different visual pathways. We performed a study on AD patients compared to Multi-Infarct Dementia [MID] patients by means of different visual stimuli considered selective in stimulating Magnocellular [M], Parvocellular [P] and Koniocellular [K] system. All the patients underwent a neuropsychological assessment and evaluation of disability. Our results seem to confirm major involvement of both the M system and the K system in AD patients, in accordance with the pathophysiological hypotheses regarding visual disturbances in AD. Moreover, the neurophysiological data seem to be related both to the neuropsychological features of dysexecutive syndrome and apraxia and also to disability.

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