The Effection Study On Visual Event-related Potentials P300 In Evaluating Clinical Character Of Elderly Depression

Objective:To explore the applicational value of event-related potentials P300 (ERPs) in evaluating clinical character of elderly depression. Method:52 elderly depressed patients with the depressive disorder (who were divided into 2 subgroups:25 with depression named the experimental groupl,32 with combined anxiety and depression named the experimental group2) and 40 healthy elderly persons marched for sexual and age were selected as normal control group. Two groups all were measured with visual evoked event-related potential P300,and the elderly depressed patients groups was assessed with Hamilton depression scale (HAMD),Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and the scale of Mini-Mental State Examination elderly cognitive function (MMSE). Results: compared with elderly normal control group, elderly depressed groups presented significantly prolonged P3 latency (P<0.0l) and reduced P3 amplitude(P＜0.01), the experimental group2 presented significantly prolonged P3 latency (P<0.01) and reduced P3 amplitude (P＜0.05) compare with the experimental groupl.In elderly depressed patients groups, MMSE scores were negatively correlated with the latency of P3.HAMD scores were not correlated with the latency and amplitude of P300.Conclusion:P300 might be served as a subsidiary method to evaluate cognitive disfunction in the elderly depressed patients.