Longitudinal measurements of brainstem auditory evoked potentials in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were recorded from 33 patients with mild-to-moderate dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and 16 age-matched normal controls. There were no significant differences between the two groups on any latency measure (wave V latency, I-V and III-V interpeak latencies). Within the DAT group, there was no association between BAEP latency measures and cognitive status, indexed by scores on the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE). Eight of the DAT subjects were retested 6 months and one year later. Despite significant evidence of continued cognitive decline, there were no changes in BAEP latency measures over time. Furthermore, BAEP latency measures at initial testing did not predict the degree of cognitive decline over the one year time interval. The results show that BAEP latency is unaffected in patients with mild-to-moderate DAT.