Brain Damage Seen on Scans Predict Memory Loss
Posted on: Wednesday, 12 August 2009, 07:47 CDT
Areas of brain damage seen on brain scans and originally thought to be related to stroke may help doctors predict a person's risk of memory problems in old age, according to new research.
Researchers tested 679 people age 65 and older without dementia for mild cognitive impairment, the stage between normal aging and dementia. Participants underwent brain scans, which scientists examined for small areas of brain damage called white matter hyperintensities, often referred to as mini-strokes. They also looked for infarcts, or areas of dead tissue usually called strokes.
The study found people with white matter hyperintensities were nearly twice as likely to have mild cognitive impairment that included memory loss. However, people who had infarcts were more likely to experience mild cognitive impairment in abilities other than memory.
The results remained the same regardless of a person's age, gender, ethnic group, education, and if they had a gene thought to be a strong risk factor for dementia, called the ApoEe4 gene.
"The most interesting finding in this study was that white matter hyperintensities, or mini-strokes, predicted memory problems, while strokes predicted non-memory problems," study author José Luchsinger, MD, MPH, at Columbia University Medical Center in New York was quoted as saying. "Traditionally, mini-strokes and strokes are thought to have a common origin and to more strongly predict non-memory cognitive problems. There are an increasing number of studies challenging the idea that all white matter hyperintensities are similar to strokes. The fact that white matter hyperintensities more strongly predicted memory problems could challenge traditional views that white matter hyperintensities are milder versions of stroke that are produced only by conditions such as high blood pressure," said Luchsinger.
Luchsinger said more work is needed to understand white matter hyperintensities and to identify which are related to stroke and which are related to other conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. He said this could eventually help doctors and researchers design preventive strategies for many types of cognitive impairment.
SOURCE: Neurology, August 11, 2009
Source: Ivanhoe
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