Spatial Distribution of the N2 and P300 Components of the Auditory Evoked Potential in Women with Arterial Hypertension: A study in the Russian Arctic

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the latencies and amplitudes of the N2 and P3 (or P300) components of the AEP in the Russian Arctic working-age women with different levels of BP. Methods and Results: A total of 25 working-age women living in Nadym city for more than 20 years took part in this study. Group 1 (n=12, control group) consisted of women with BP within the normal range (<130/90 mmHg); Group 2 (n=13) consisted of women with AH (AH duration from 1 to 10 years). The parameters of the N2 and P300) components of the AEP were evaluated using an electroencephalograph (Neuron-Spectrum-4/VPM, Russia). An auditory oddball paradigm was used to elicit the oddball ERPs. In Group 2, compared with Group 1, the N2 latency was more pronounced in the parietal (P4, P3), central (C4, C3), frontal (F4, F3), and left temporal (T3, F7) regions. The N2 amplitude in all studied brain regions in individuals of both groups was comparable. The P300 latency did not differ between the two groups. In Group 2, the P300 amplitude was significantly lower in the parietal region (P3) on the left, and in the central and temporal regions on the right (C4, T4). In Group 2, inverse correlations between DBP and the P3 amplitude were revealed in the central (C4: r=-0.88, P=0.001; C3: r=-0.86, P=0.001), frontal (F4: r=-0.76; P=0.01; F3: r=-0.93, P=0.001), and anterior-temporal cerebral regions (F8: r=-0.65, P=0.04; F7: r=-0.64, P=0.04). SBP correlated with the P3 amplitude in the right mid-temporal region (T4: r=0.64, P=0.04). Conclusion: The features of the spatial distribution of the N2 and P3 components of the AEP can be used for early diagnosis of the risk of developing cognitive disorders in AH patients.