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Abstract:
Since AD is a neurodegenerative disorder, experimental
treatments require the early identification of persons suffering
from this illness in order to achieve better therapeutic results.
Our objective was to investigate whether neuropsychological and
electrophysiological evaluations could provide objective clues to
identify early alterations in asymptomatic subjects at risk of
inheriting AD. A group of relatives of patients suffering from
familial AD associated to alterations in chromosome 14, as well as
a healthy control group, were neuropsycologically and
electrophysiologically evaluated. Early neuropsychological
alterations, mainly observed in delayed visual and verbal memory,
were evident in six subjects at risk of inheriting AD. Concerning
EEG recording, four out of the six above mentioned subjects showed
less relative and absolute power in the fast bands, more relative
power in the theta band and less inter and intrahemispheric
correlation in the fast bands. Twelve months latter disturbances
remained and some of them even became larger. This data could be a
clue of the early alterations observed during the first stages of
AD.
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