A systematic review and meta-analysis have confirmed the effectiveness of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) as biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers from Iran and Canada said alterations in AEP parameters had been associated with sensory memory deficits and may serve as biomarkers for cognitive decline.
They aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of AEPs in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
They searched five electronic databases extracting data on the latency and amplitude of five AEP components including auditory P50 gating, mismatch negativity, and late-latency responses (N100, N200, P300), comparing patients with AD to age-matched control peers.
Out of 437 publications, 54 articles were selected for review, with most rated as having high methodological quality.
The analysis revealed a significantly larger P50 gating amplitude in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Patients with AD also demonstrated significantly prolonged latencies and reduced amplitudes for N100, N200, and P300 components compared with controls.
Among all AEPs, P300 latency exhibited the largest effect size. Researchers found no evidence of publication bias.
“Our findings support the clinical utility of AEPs in early AD detection, with the P300 response identified as the most accurate electrophysiological measure for distinguishing patients with AD from the control group,” they said.
“These results highlight the value of incorporating AEPs into clinical assessment protocols to enhance early-stage AD diagnosis and monitoring, thereby facilitating timely interventions and the development of personalised treatment strategies.”
The researchers reported their findings in Ear and Hearing’s January/February 2026 edition.
The authors were Associate Professor of Audiology Arash Bayat from the Hearing Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; Ms Golshan Mirmomeni also from the Hearing Research Centre; Associate Professor Steven Aiken from Dalhousie University’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience; and audiologist Assistant Professor Zahra Jafari from the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
