P03-S Repeated baseline EEG measures effectiveness for early detection of at-risk older adults

Abstract

Background Age and disease related cognitive declines have important socioeconomic implications. Identifying those who are at risk and the underlying mechanisms for accelerated cognitive decline are vital for guiding interventions and improving early prediction of dementia. We propose a novel approach for risk prediction using repeated electrophysiological recording prior to and following visuospatial cognitive stimulation. Methods Forty-six consensus diagnosed, non-demented, community dwelling African American older participants over age 60 years received EEG and NIH Toolbox-Cognition and Brief CogState computer administered cognitive batteries. In between two resting EEG (eyes closed) sessions participants engaged in a visual motion direction discrimination task for approximately 20 min. The outcome measures were % changes of spectral power between pre/post EEGs. Results There was a decrease in spectral power of eyes-closed EEG across all the frequency ranges at post as compared pre-EEG recording, with the greatest at the beta range (12–30 Hz) – 41% (p Conclusions Our preliminary results demonstrate that EEG reactivity, repeated eyes-closed baseline EEG after short visual cognitive stimulation, showed significant decrease primarily in beta range that correlated with neuropsychological performance. Thus, the baseline EEG reactivity findings are very promising in terms of identifying those older adults who are at risk for accelerated cognitive decline.