Event-related potentials during visual S1-S2 paradigm in multiple system atrophy: relation to morphologic changes on brain MRI measurement.

Although mild cognitive deficits in multiple system atrophy (MSA) have been proved on neuropsychological testing, the cognitive function in MSA has not been investigated sufficiently from an electrophysiological view point. We performed a visual Event-related potential (ERP) examination and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements on 24 MSA patients and 18 normal subjects, and investigated the relationship between the ERP abnormalities and the morphological changes of the brain in MSA patients. To elicit ERPs, we used S1-S2 task which needs frontal lobe function for execution. We found significant prolongation of P3 latency and reaction time and significant attenuation of P3 amplitude in MSA, compared with normal control values. We performed the square and linear MRI measurements on MSA and normal subjects. The cerebellum, the pons, the perisylvian cerebral area and the deep cerebral gray matter in MSA were significantly smaller than those in normal subjects. The mean value in MSA was significantly increased for the bicaudate index and Huckman number compared with those in normal subjects. In MSA, we found significant correlation between P3 latency and atrophy of the cerebellum and the pons, while we found no correlation between ERP abnormalities and quantitative MRI measurements of any other regions. Our results showed that the prolongation of visual P3 latency during S1-S2 task was significantly associated with atrophy of the cerebellum and the pons.