Using the P300 Potential for the Analysis of Cognitive Functions in Children

In 84 healthy 5- to 15-year-old children, we studied the cognitive components of the evoked potentials elicited by acoustic stimulation, the P300 wave generated after presentation of a sign stimulus requiring the performance of sensorimotor reaction. We found a linear dependence of the peak latency of the P300 on the age of the tested persons (the latencies decreased with age). The amplitude of the P300 wave exhibited no clear dependence on the age (obviously, this parameter to a greater extent depends on other factors).     

产后与非产后抑郁症患者事件相关电位P300的对比研究

目的:探讨产后抑郁症与非产后抑郁症患者事件相关电位P300的差异,为产后抑郁症的预防提供参考指标。方法:选择2011年1月~2012年10月解放军第三医院精神科收治的35例产后抑郁症患者(产后组)和36例非产后抑郁症患者(非产后组)为研究对象,并检测其事件相关电位P300,并与36名健康志愿者(对照组)的结果进行比较。结果:(1)与对照组相比,产后组、非产后组P2、N2、P3潜伏期均显著延迟,P2、N2、P3波幅均明显降低,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。(2)与产后组相比,非产后组P2、N2、P3潜伏期差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。P2、N2波幅均偏高,差异均有统计学意义(P2[(5.0±2.1)ms vs.(3.9±1.8)μV],N2[(3.2±1.7)μV vs.(2.1±1.0)μV],P0.05),P3波幅差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:产后与非产后抑郁症患者认知功能均受损,非产后抑郁患者受损程度大于产后抑郁患者;产后抑郁的外界感知能力和早期注意受损程度大于非产后抑郁患者。     

P300 in response to the subject's own name

The P300 component is influenced by task relevance which is typically achieved by employing an active task involving the evoking stimulus. This study explored the possibility of making use of the subject's name, which is innately relevant to the subject, to achieve stimulus relevance.Dependence of P300 amplitude on auditory presentation of the subject's name was assessed in two experiments in which no response was required: (1) a passive 2-word “oddball” paradigm where the low probability word was the subject's first name; (2) a passive 3-word “oddball” paradigm consisting of two low probability words, one of which was the subject's name, and a third, high probability word.In the first experiment, a typical active 2-word “oddball” paradigm, which did not include the subject's name, was compared with the passive paradigm.P300 amplitude was larger in response to the subject's name compared to the other word in the two-word paradigm, indicating that the name can be used to evoke P300 in a passive paradigm. It was also larger than either of the other two words in the 3-word paradigm, suggesting that stimulus relevance has an additional effect on P300 amplitude beyond rarity.     

Radiation Processed Amniotic Membranes in the Treatment of Non-Healing Ulcers of Different Etiologies

The amniotic membranes were collected from the placentae of selected and screened donors. Processing was done by washing the fresh amniotic membrane successively in sterile saline, 0.05% sodium hypochlorite solution and sterile distilled water until it was completely cleared of blood particles. The membranes were sterilized by gamma irradiation at 25 kGy. The processed amniotic membranes were applied to 50 open wounds comprising of 42 full thickness defects and eight partial thickness defects. These included leprotic, diabetic, traumatic, gravitational ulcers and superficial burn in the form of scald and corrosive burn. The radiation processed amniotic membranes favoured healing of unresponsive and non-healing ulcers of different etiologies. Ulcers with duration of minimum 3 weeks to maximum 12 months were found to heal in 2-6 weeks by the application of amniotic membranes.     

P300 variations in parkinsonian patients before and during dopaminergic monotherapy: a suggested dopamine component in P300

P300 was recorded, using an ‘odd ball’ paradigm, in 18 parkinsonian patients before and during dopaminergic monotherapy. The data were compared with those of a homogeneous standard group of 20 subjects.The main finding was an increase in the P300 latency of parkinsonian patients before therapy, which recovered during dopaminergic monotherapy. In 11 voluntary healthy subjects the same therapy did not produce a reduction of the P300 latency.The data are discussed in relation to a possible dopaminergic component in P300 origin.     

Oxidative Parameters in the Rat Brain of Chronic Mild Stress Model for Depression: Relation to Anhedonia-Like Responses

The chronic mild stress (CMS) protocol is widely used to evoke depression-like behaviors in the laboratory. Some animals exposed to CMS are resistant to the development of anhedonia, whereas the remaining are responsive, CMS-resilient and CMS-sensitive, respectively. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of chronic stress on oxidative parameters in the rat brain. The consumption of sweet food, protein and lipid oxidation levels and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the rat hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum were assessed. We found a significant increase in protein peroxidation (hippocampus and cortex), a significant increase in catalase activity (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum) and a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum) in the CMS-sensitive group compared to the CMS-resilient group and normal controls as well as an increase in lipid peroxidation (cerebellum) in the CMS-sensitive and CMS-resilient groups compared to normal controls. However, there was no significant difference in protein peroxidation (cerebellum) and lipid peroxidation (cortex and hippocampus) among the three groups. In conclusion, our results indicate that the segregation into CMS-sensitive and -resilient groups based on sucrose intake is paralleled by significant differences in oxidative parameters. CMS induces oxidative damage and alterations in the activity of antioxidants which may lead to increased oxidative damage, irrespective of the anhedonia-like status of the stressed animals.     

Brain fingerprinting field studies comparing P300-MERMER and P300 brainwave responses in the detection of concealed information

Brain fingerprinting detects concealed information stored in the brain by measuring brainwave responses. We compared P300 and P300-MERMER event-related brain potentials for error rate/accuracy and statistical confidence in four field/real-life studies. 76 tests detected presence or absence of information regarding (1) real-life events including felony crimes; (2) real crimes with substantial consequences (either a judicial outcome, i.e., evidence admitted in court, or a $100,000 reward for beating the test); (3) knowledge unique to FBI agents; and (4) knowledge unique to explosives (EOD/IED) experts. With both P300 and P300-MERMER, error rate was 0 %: determinations were 100 % accurate, no false negatives or false positives; also no indeterminates. Countermeasures had no effect. Median statistical confidence for determinations was 99.9 % with P300-MERMER and 99.6 % with P300. Brain fingerprinting methods and scientific standards for laboratory and field applications are discussed. Major differences in methods that produce different results are identified. Markedly different methods in other studies have produced over 10 times higher error rates and markedly lower statistical confidences than those of these, our previous studies, and independent replications. Data support the hypothesis that accuracy, reliability, and validity depend on following the brain fingerprinting scientific standards outlined herein.     

The P300 event-related potentials in dementia of the Alzheimer type. Correlations between P300 and monoamine metabolites

We studied auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in 40 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). Peak latencies and amplitudes of N100, P200 and P300 components were measured. To study the possible relationships between the ERPs and monoaminergic neurotransmitter functions, CSF neurotransmitter metabolites were also analyzed. In patients with DAT, the P300 amplitude was significantly reduced and the P300 latency was prolonged. CSF concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were decreased. The P300 amplitude was significantly correlated with the 5-HIAA concentration. There were no correlations between the P300 components and the HVA concentration. These findings suggest that the serotonergic system modulates the P300 component of ERPs in patients with DAT.     

Differences in the P300 Parameters, Neuropsychological Profile, and Cognitive Impairments in Patients with Cortical and Subcortical Dementia

In this study we analyzed the parameters of auditory evoked potentials in a stimulus recognition task (the P300 method) and nonspecific visual response to a light flash in 75 healthy subjects of various ages (20–70 years) and 70 subjects (35 males and 35 females, mean age 51 years) with cortical and subcortical cognitive impairments of various degrees (cerebrovascular disorder) with different neuropsychological profiles. It was shown that parameters of the P300 complex depend on both the subject age and his/her cognitive functions and can be used for objective analysis of cognitive impairments. An inverse relationship between the P3 (P300) peak latency and the volume of short-term and operative memory in subjects with cognitive impairments was found. The parameters of the nonspecific visual response (duration and the maximum amplitude), reflecting functioning of the arousal systems of the brain, depended on the type and severity of cognitive impairments but did not depend on the subject's age. Differences in the neuropsychological profiles of cognitive impairments and the pathophysiological mechanisms of their development, reflected by parameters of the evoked potential, as well as differences between the brain structures involved in these process, substantiate the discrimination of two types of cognitive impairments—cortical and subcortical—in subjects with cerebrovascular disorders.     

The Role of Intention to Conceal in the P300-based Concealed Information Test

The present study examined whether intention to conceal knowledge affects P300 amplitude and detection accuracy in the concealed information test. Eighteen university students were told to choose one card from five and to hide it. In the conceal condition, participants made an effort to leave their chosen card undetected by suppressing their brain response to it. In the transmit condition, they attempted to inform the experimenter of the chosen card by enhancing brain response to it. In the no secret condition, participants showed the chosen card to the experimenter beforehand and lost their motivation to conceal it. The difference in P300 amplitude between the chosen and unchosen cards was significant only in the conceal and transmit conditions. The results suggest that a larger P300 amplitude for the chosen card was not due to a deception-specific process but rather to increased significance of the item caused by additional processing.