Top

Published in:

01-10-2005 | Diagnostic Neuroradiology

Excellent cognitive performance despite massive cerebral white matter changes

Authors: Thomas Duning, Harald Kugel, Stefan Knecht

Published in: Neuroradiology | Issue 10/2005

Abstract

Marked cerebral white matter changes are a frequent finding in the daily routine of magnetic resonance imaging of elderly patients. These findings are often equated with a decrease of cognitive function. Here we present a case of massive white matter changes but excellent cognitive performance, to avoid the automatism of drawing conclusions on intellectual ability by just interpreting the imaging data of elderly patients.

The SIENA software is part of FSL-FMRIB′s Software Library (http://www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl)

Joutel A, Chabriat H, Vahedi K, Domenga V, Vayssiere C, Ruchoux MM, Lucas C, Leys D, Bousser MG, Tournier-Lasserve E (2000) Splice site mutation causing a seven amino acid Notch3 in-frame deletion in CADASIL. Neurology 9:1874–1875

Smith SM, Zhang Y, Jenkinson M, Chen J, Matthews PM, Federico A, et al (2002) Accurate, robust, and automated longitudinal and cross-sectional brain change analysis. Neuroimage 17:479–489CrossRefPubMed

Poeck K (1989) Apraxie [Apraxia]. In: Poeck K (ed) Klinische Neuropsychologie [Clinical Neuropsychology]. Thieme, Stuttgart, pp 188–207

Hachinski VC, Potter P, Merskey H (1987) Leuko-araiosis. Arch Neurol 44:21–23PubMed

Garde E, Mortensen EL, Krabbe K, Rostrup E, Larsson HB (2000) Relation between age-related decline in intelligence and cerebral white-matter hyperintensities in healthy octogenarians: a longitudinal study. Lancet 356:628–634CrossRefPubMed

De Groot JC, De Leeuw FE, Oudkerk M, van Gijn J, Hofman A, Jolles J, et al (2002) Periventricular cerebral white matter lesions predict rate of cognitive decline. Ann Neurol 52:335–341CrossRefPubMed

Breteler MM, van Swieten JC, Bots ML, Grobbee DE, Claus JJ, van den Hout JH, et al (1994) Cerebral white matter lesions, vascular risk factors, and cognitive function in a population-based study: the Rotterdam study. Neurology 44:1246–1252PubMed

Prencipe M, Marini C (1989) Leuko-araiosis: definition and clinical correlates—an overview. Eur Neurol 29:27–29

Udaka F, Sawada H, Kameyama M (2002) White matter lesions and dementia: MRI-pathological correlation. Ann N Y Acad Sci 977:411–415PubMed

10.

Longstreth WT Jr, Manolio TA, Arnold A, Burke GL, Bryan N, Jungreis CA, et al (1996) Clinical correlates of white matter findings on cranial magnetic resonance imaging of 3301 elderly people. The Cardiovascular Health Study. Stroke 27:1274–1282PubMed

11.

Stern Y (2002) What is cognitive reserve? Theory and research application of the reserve concept. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 8:448–460CrossRefPubMed

12.

Scarmeas N, Stern Y (2004) Cognitive reserve: implications for diagnosis and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 4:374–380PubMed

13.

Berkman LF, Glass T, Brissette I, Seeman TE (2000) From social integration to health: Durkheim in the new millennium. Soc Sci Med 51:843–857CrossRefPubMed

14.

Meguro K, Shimada M, Yamaguchi S, Ishizaki J, Ishii H, Shimada Y, Sato M, Yamadori A, Sekita Y (2001) Cognitive function and frontal lobe atrophy in normal elderly adults: Implications for dementia not as aging-related disorders and the reserve hypothesis. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 55:565–572CrossRefPubMed

15.

Churchill JD, Galvez R, Colcombe S, Swain RA, Kramer AF, Greenough WT (2002) Exercise, experience and the aging brain. Neurobiol Aging 23:941–955CrossRefPubMed

16.

Fillit HM, Butler RN, O’Connell AW, Albert MS, Birren JE, Cotman CW, et al (2002) Achieving and maintaining cognitive vitality with aging. Mayo Clin Proc 77:681–696PubMed

17.

van Praag H, Kempermann G, Gage FH (2000) Neural consequences of environmental enrichment. Nat Rev Neurosci 1:191–198CrossRefPubMed

18.

Fratiglioni L, Paillard-Borg S, Winblad B (2004) An active and socially integrated lifestyle in late life might protect against dementia. Lancet Neurol 3:343–353CrossRefPubMed

19.

Zekry D, Duyckaerts C, Moulias R, Belmin J, Geoffre C, Herrmann F, Hauw JJ (2002) Degenerative and vascular lesions of the brain have synergistic effects in dementia of the elderly. Acta Neuropathol 103:481–487CrossRefPubMed

20.

Oswald DW, Fleischmann UM, Keuchel (1983) Psychometrics in the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. Eur Neurol 22:61–67PubMed

21.

Helmstaedter C, Durwen HF (1990) The verbal learning and retention test. A useful and differentiated tool in evaluating verbal memory performance. Schweiz Arch Neurol Psychiatr 141:21–30PubMed

22.

Rey A (1941) L’examen clinique psychologique dans les cas d‘encéphalopathie traumatic. Arch Psychol 28: 286–340

23.

Osterrieth PA (1944) Le test de copie d’une figure complexe. Arch Psychol 30:206–356

Title: Excellent cognitive performance despite massive cerebral white matter changes
Authors: Thomas Duning
Harald Kugel
Stefan Knecht
Publication date: 01-10-2005
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Neuroradiology / Issue 10/2005
Print ISSN: 0028-3940
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1920
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-005-1420-6

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Excellent cognitive performance despite massive cerebral white matter changes

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 10/2005

3D roadmap in neuroangiography: technique and clinical interest

Degeneration of the cervical disc: histology compared with radiography and magnetic resonance imaging

Suprasellar paraganglioma: a case report and review of the literature

Meningoencephalitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

Intra-venous digital subtraction angiography: an alternative method to intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography for experimental aneurysm imaging

ESNR - October 2005