Distinguishing Between Genuine and Feigned Dementia Using Event-related Potentials.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with probable Alzheimer disease (AD) may perform below cutoffs on traditional, memory-based performance validity tests. Previous studies have found success using event-related potentials (ERPs) to detect feigned neurocognitive impairment in younger populations. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of an auditory oddball task in conjunction with the P3b peak amplitude to distinguish probable AD from simulated dementia. METHOD: Twenty individuals with probable AD and 20 older healthy controls (HC) underwent an ERP auditory oddball protocol and the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM). The HC were asked to perform honestly for one condition and to simulate dementia for the other. The individuals with probable AD were asked to perform honestly. The P3b peak amplitude and button press accuracy were collected from each participant and were analyzed to determine their effectiveness in detecting performance validity. RESULTS: The P3b peak amplitude remained stable regardless of behavioral condition in the HC group. When combined with the TOMM Trial 2 score, the P3b peak amplitude further improved the ability to correctly differentiate individuals with probable AD from HC simulating dementia with 100% sensitivity and 90% specificity. CONCLUSION: The P3b peak amplitude was found to be an effective physiologic measure of cognitive impairment in individuals with probable AD compared with HC simulating dementia. When combined with the TOMM Trial 2 score, the P3b peak amplitude served as a promising performance validity measure for differentiating individuals with probable AD from HC simulating dementia.

Head Injury Exposure in Veterans Presenting to Memory Disorders Clinic: An Observational Study of Clinical Characteristics and Relationship of Event-Related Potentials and Imaging Markers.

Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and repetitive head impacts (RHI) related to blasts or contact sports are commonly reported among military service members. However, the clinical implications of remote TBI and RHI in veterans remains a challenge when evaluating older veterans at risk of neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that veterans in a memory disorders clinic with remote head injury would be more likely to have neurodegenerative clinical diagnoses, increased rates of amyloid PET positivity, higher prevalence of cavum septum pellucidi/vergae, and alterations in event-related potential (ERP) middle latency auditory evoked potentials (MLAEPs) and long latency ERP responses compared to those without head injuries. Methods: Older veterans aged 50-100 were recruited from a memory disorders clinic at VA Boston Healthcare system with a history of head injury (n = 72) and without head injury history (n = 52). Patients were classified as reporting prior head injury including TBI and/or RHI exposure based on self-report and chart review. Participants underwent MRI to determine presence/absence of cavum and an ERP auditory oddball protocol. Results: The head injury group was equally likely to have a positive amyloid PET compared to the non-head injury group. Additionally, the head injury group were less likely to have a diagnosis of a neurodegenerative condition than those without head injury. P200 target amplitude and MLAEP amplitudes for standard and target tones were decreased in the head injury group compared to the non-head injury group while P3b amplitude did not differ. Conclusions: Veterans with reported remote head injury evaluated in a memory disorders clinic were not more likely to have a neurodegenerative diagnosis or imaging markers of neurodegeneration than those without head injury. Decreased P200 target and MLAEP target and standard tone amplitudes in the head injury group may be relevant as potential diagnostic markers of remote head injury.