P300, a tool for cognitive assessment in women with iron deficiency anemia: A systematic review

Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common nutritional disorder and an important risk factor for the development of mild cognitive impairment that may progress to dementia, if untreated. The anemic status due to iron deficiency (ID) alters the electrogenesis in the central nervous system. P300 is a cognitive evoked potential (CEP) used as an objective tool to assess cognitive function. Mild cognitive impairment is indicated by prolonged P300 wave latency and reduced amplitude. IDA is highly prevalent among women particularly in the reproductive phase and data on cognitive assessment using P300 in them are sparse. This review aims to analyze the evidence from recent literature regarding the effect of IDA on evoked potentials like P300 in women. A systematic literature review was conducted and databases, like PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched for studies from the last 20 years. We selected research papers that compared P300 between anemic women and controls of the same age, and evaluated the effects of iron supplementation on P300 in anemic women. Based on the inclusion criteria, three studies were found. The studies demonstrated impaired P300 potentials in anemic women that improved following iron supplementation. Promoting screening of anemic women with P300 aids in the early detection of subclinical cognitive decline. Ensuring adequate iron treatment can prevent mild cognitive impairment from progressing to severe forms like dementia and other neuropsychological disorders. Further studies utilizing P300 as a cognitive tool need to be encouraged to establish definite conclusions regarding its efficacy in detecting cognitive dysfunctions in anemia.