Short-Latency Somatosensory and Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials in Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were recorded in 44 patients with Parkinson's disease (mean age 67.3 years) and 23 normal subjects (mean age 69.3 years). Patients with Parkinson's disease and normal subjects did not show any significant difference with regard to the interpeak latencies between N13 and N20 central conduction time (CCTs). Likewise, there were no significant differences in CCTs between patients with and without dementia. The interpeak latencies between waves I and V (I-V IPLs) in patients with Parkinson's disease were significantly longer than those of the normal subjects (p < 0.05). In particular, patients with dementia revealed significant prolongation of I-V IPLs compared to patients without dementia and normal subjects (p < 0.01, p < 0.001) although no significant differences were observed between patients without dementia and normal subjects. These results show that auditory brainstem pathways are involved in Parkinson's disease patients with dementia.

Key Words:

• short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs)
• brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs)
• Parkinson's disease
• dementia