TY - JOUR
T1 - Sensory gating deficit expressed by a disturbed suppression of the P50 event-related potential in patients with Alzheimer's disease
AU - Jessen, F
AU - Kucharski, C
AU - Fries, T
AU - Papassotiropoulos, A
AU - Hoenig, K
AU - Maier, W
AU - Heun, Reinhard
PY - 2001/8/1
Y1 - 2001/8/1
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Disturbed sensory gating has been related to attention deficit and greater distractibility in patients with schizophrenia, and dysfunction of the alpha-7 subunit of the cholinergic nicotinic receptor has been discussed as its biological basis. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a cholinergic deficit, and postmortem studies have reported alpha-7 receptor loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the authors tested whether sensory gating is disturbed in patients with Alzheimer's disease. METHOD: Suppression of the P50 event-related potential following the second click of a double-click paradigm, a measure of sensory gating, was assessed in 17 Alzheimer's disease patients and 17 comparison subjects. RESULTS: Alzheimer's disease patients showed less P50 suppression following the second click relative to the comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Disturbed sensory gating might result from cholinergic dysfunction and possibly from alpha-7 nicotinic receptor loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Prospective studies should investigate the relationship between sensory gating deficit and behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's disease patients.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Disturbed sensory gating has been related to attention deficit and greater distractibility in patients with schizophrenia, and dysfunction of the alpha-7 subunit of the cholinergic nicotinic receptor has been discussed as its biological basis. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a cholinergic deficit, and postmortem studies have reported alpha-7 receptor loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the authors tested whether sensory gating is disturbed in patients with Alzheimer's disease. METHOD: Suppression of the P50 event-related potential following the second click of a double-click paradigm, a measure of sensory gating, was assessed in 17 Alzheimer's disease patients and 17 comparison subjects. RESULTS: Alzheimer's disease patients showed less P50 suppression following the second click relative to the comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Disturbed sensory gating might result from cholinergic dysfunction and possibly from alpha-7 nicotinic receptor loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Prospective studies should investigate the relationship between sensory gating deficit and behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's disease patients.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034893545&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.8.1319
DO - 10.1176/appi.ajp.158.8.1319
M3 - Article
C2 - 11481170
VL - 158
SP - 1319
EP - 1321
JO - American Journal of Psychiatry
JF - American Journal of Psychiatry
ER -