Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Modern Rehabilitation 2538-385X 0 - 2026 02 24 1497 1497 EN Hamidreza Farmani Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ahmadreza Khatoonabadi Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammadreza Hadian Rasanani Department of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2026 01 21 2026 02 24 Introduction: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is considered a transitional stage between normal cognitive aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Given the challenges in accurately distinguishing MCI from the healthy elderly (HE), researchers have increasingly turned to event-related potentials (ERPs) to identify early neural changes, particularly in verbal and episodic memory processing. Methods: This review synthesizes ERP studies from 2000 to 2025 that utilized verbal episodic memory paradigms to differentiate between MCI and HE. The databases PsycINFO and PubMed were searched for peer-reviewed articles. The reporting of this review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Results: In these studies, core aspects of verbal processing—including semantic congruity and recognition—combined with episodic memory manipulation have consistently reported alterations in ERP components such as the N400, FN400, and Late Positive Component (LPC) in MCI. Reduced or delayed N400 and LPC responses, as well as altered scalp distributions, have been shown to be sensitive to verbal memory deficits in MCI, often preceding behavioral impairments. Moreover, ERP paradigms integrating semantic and episodic memory have shown that the interaction between memory systems further enhances diagnostic precision. Conclusion: The reviewed literature highlights that verbal ERP paradigms are not only effective in differentiating MCI from HE but also capture subtle neurophysiological changes that might be overlooked by behavioral measures alone. These results underscore the potential of ERPs as non-invasive, cost-effective biomarkers for early cognitive impairment. https://jmr.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jmr/article/view/1497