P300 in Behcet's patients without neurological manifestations.

OBJECTIVE

Behcet's disease is the association of recurrent aphthous stomatitis with genital ulceration and eye disease. Neurologic involvement patterns include meningomyelitis, a brain stem syndrome, pyramidal and extrapyramidal abnormality and stroke. In the present study, subclinical involvement was investigated by using P300 in Behcet's patients without neurological manifestation.

METHODS

Fifteen patients and 15 healthy volunteers were accepted for the study. P300 from vertex (Cz) electrode sites of the 10-20 system using electrodes and motor response time were recorded.

RESULTS

Patients had significantly prolonged latencies of P300 as compared to normal controls (p=0.013) but no significant differences in amplitude (p=1.000). Patients showed a significantly delayed motor response time than controls (p=0.006). Nine patients (60%) had P300 latency and eight patients (53.3%) had motor response time values exceeding the mean of controls by two standard deviations.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the P300 measures and motor response time may reflect subclinical neurologic involvement in Behcet's disease.