Abnormal flash visual evoked potentials in malnourished infants: an evaluation using principal component analysis.

Objective: To characterize the morphology of flash visual evoked potentials (fVEPs) obtained from infants hospitalized with severe, chronic malnutrition (marasmus).

Methods: A covariance-based principal component analysis with Promax factor rotation was applied to fVEPs obtained from malnourished infants and age-matched control subjects.

Results: The analysis suggests the presence of a late positive complex in the fVEP, with at least one of its components being significantly diminished in marasmic infants.

Detection of feigned tactile sensory loss using a forced-choice test of tactile discrimination and other measures of tactile sensation.

Objective: Intentional exaggeration of disability is a risk in work injuries but is hard to reliably detect clinically. This study examined the accuracy of tactile sensory threshold and forced-choice discrimination measures in detecting feigned sensory loss.

Methods: Participants (n = 80) were randomly assigned to one of four sensory loss groups: (1) none; (2) partial; (3) full; or (4) feigned.