Event related potentials (ERPs) and cognitive abnormalities in a rare neurological autoimmune syndrome: a single case study

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Event related potentials (ERPs) and cognitive abnormalities in a rare neurological autoimmune syndrome: a single case study Simona Salomone1*, Ian H. Robertson1, Niall P. Pender2, Tim Lynch3 and Paul M. Dockree1 1 Trinity College Dublin, Ireland 2 Beaumant Hospital, Ireland 3 Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Ireland The aim of this single case study is to investigate attention and memory deficits in a 21 year old man with autoimmune coma,progressive unresponsiveness over 5 years and opsoclonus-myoclonus using both neuropsychological as well as electrophysiological measures. The patient completed a neuropsychological and EEG assessment. The patient and a control group (n=14) also undertook a three stimuli auditory oddball task in which behavioral and ERP data were compared. EEG spectral analyses and alpha reactivity comparisons were also carried out. Neuropsychological testing reveals that the patient’s scores were below the mean average score for his age band in tests of selective attention, sustained attention under condition of divided attention but performance was in the normal range on tests of auditory verbal working memory and undivided sustained attention. Electrophysiological analyses show that early sensory processing of auditory tones did not differ between the patient and controls. For P3a key later cognitive ERP component the patient exhibited higher amplitude and faster latency component that reflects attention orientation to a distracter stimulus. However, the patient’s ERP component for relevant target stimuli (P3b) was intact and no different from controls. Neuropsychological testing demonstrates that the autoimmune unresponsiveness and opsoclonus-myoclonus in this patient appear to be associated with selective impairments of cognitive functions affecting selective and divided attention. Moreover, electrophysiological evidence suggests that ERPs associated with orientation to novel and distracting stimuli are hyper-sensitive in the patient. Together the findings suggest compromised ability to filter out irrelevant information in the context of deploying attention. Funding: Supported by Health Research Board Ireland. Keywords: Cognitive abnormalities, EEG Conference: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster Sessions: Neurophysiology of Cognition and Attention Citation: Salomone S, Robertson IH, Pender NP, Lynch T and Dockree PM (2011). Event related potentials (ERPs) and cognitive abnormalities in a rare neurological autoimmune syndrome: a single case study. Conference Abstract: XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00447 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 25 Nov 2011; Published Online: 28 Nov 2011. * Correspondence: Dr. Simona Salomone, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, ssalomon@tcd.ie Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Simona Salomone Ian H Robertson Niall P Pender Tim Lynch Paul M Dockree Google Simona Salomone Ian H Robertson Niall P Pender Tim Lynch Paul M Dockree Google Scholar Simona Salomone Ian H Robertson Niall P Pender Tim Lynch Paul M Dockree PubMed Simona Salomone Ian H Robertson Niall P Pender Tim Lynch Paul M Dockree Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.