Representative examples of normal FERG waveforms have been published.
18 19 28 Figure 1Ashows the group averaged (± SE) 1F amplitudes and phases as a function of TF for young (open circles) and old (solid circles) healthy subjects. It can be noted that in young healthy subjects, the average TFR of 1F amplitude has a maximum at 41 Hz, a secondary peak at 3.7 Hz, a minimum at 10 Hz, and a high frequency cutoff at approximately 50 Hz. The TFR of the old differed significantly from that of the young controls (two-way ANOVA, interaction effect of group by TF, F = 3.5;
df = 9,180;
P < 0.01), showing a broad maximum at 14 Hz. Amplitude losses (1F) in old compared with young controls were found only at high TF (32–52 Hz). There was no significant effect of group (F = 2.5;
df = 1,20;
P = NS), whereas the effect of TF was highly significant (F = 11.8;
df = 9,180;
P < 0.001). The difference in the shape of the 1F TFR between young and old healthy subjects can be further appreciated in the
Figure 1Ainset, where the mean 1F amplitude change recorded in old healthy compared with young healthy subjects is expressed as percentage change as a function of TF. Error bars in the plot indicate 95% confidence intervals of the means. The mean FERG 1F phase lagged progressively with TF in both groups of the healthy control population. The shape of the average FERG phase function did not differ significantly between young and old healthy controls. In
Figure 1B , the mean (±SE) 1F amplitudes of ARM patients (cross center circles) are compared at the different TFs with those of the old, age-matched controls (solid circles). It can be seen that both TFR functions are similar in shape. ARM patient function shows only a uniform scaling in mean amplitude (on average, –0.2 log units) compared with normal function. Two-way ANOVA indicated a significant effect of group (F = 5.8;
df = 1,25;
P < 0.05) and TF (F = 9.8;
df = 9,225;
P < 0.001) but no significant interaction of group by TF (F = 0.9;
df = 9,225;
P = NS). The mean percentage of 1F amplitude change in ARM patients, compared with the age-matched controls (
Fig. 2B , inset), revealed that mean changes tended to be uniform at all but one TF (9 Hz).