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Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
White matter hyperintensities and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer disease
Jae-Hyeok Heo1, Soon-Tae Lee, Kon Chu
1Department of Neurology, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology
|May 13, 2009
Summary
White matter lesions, visible on MRI, worsen cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Addressing these white matter hyperintensities (WMH) may help slow disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The impact of white matter lesions and vascular atherosclerosis on cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear.
- White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are common findings in AD patients, but their specific contribution to cognitive decline needs further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of white matter lesions, assessed by MRI, on cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
- To determine the association between the severity of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and cognitive performance in AD.
Main Methods:
- 142 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease were included in the study.
- Brain magnetic resonance images (MRI) were analyzed to grade white matter hyperintensities (WMH) using the Fazekas scale.
- Cognitive function was assessed using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale.
Main Results:
- Cognitive function, measured by K-MMSE and CDR scores, significantly declined with increasing grades of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) (P < .01).
- These associations remained significant after adjusting for potential confounding factors such as age, education, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking.
- The severity of WMH on MRI was directly correlated with poorer performance on cognitive assessments in AD patients.
Conclusions:
- The presence and severity of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are associated with cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease.
- WMH represent a potentially modifiable factor that may accelerate cognitive decline in individuals with AD.
- Targeting WMH could be a therapeutic strategy to mitigate cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer's disease.
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