Skip to main content

Cognitive correlates of cerebral white matter changes

  • Conference paper
Ageing and Dementia

Part of the book series: Journal of Neural Transmission. Supplementa ((NEURAL SUPPL,volume 53))

Abstract

The introduction of computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revealed unexpected cerebral findings of unknown consequences. Changes in the white matter of the brain appear in both normal and cognitively impaired elderly individuals and are common in demented patients. White matter changes are known under a variety of synonyms. On MRI they are also termed white matter lesions, hyperintensities, foci, findings or unidentified bright objects and on CT white matter lucencies or leukoaraiosis.

Abbreviations: CT = Computer tomography, MRI = Magnetic resonance imaging, WMC = White matter changes, AD = Alzheimer disease, VAD = Vascular dementia, PVWMC = Periventricular white matter changes, DWMC = Deep subcortical white matter changes

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Almkvist O, Wahlund LO, Andersson-Lundman G, Basun H, Backman L (1992) White-matter hyperintensity and neuropsychological functions in dementia and healthy aging. Arch Neurol 49: 626–632

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amar K, Lewis T, Wilcock G, Scott M, Bucks R (1995) The relationship between white matter low attenuation on brain CT and vascular risk factors: a memory clinic study. Age Ageing 24: 411–415

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Awad IA, Johnson PC, Spetzler RF, Hodak JA (1986) Incidental subcortical lesions identified on magnetic resonance imaging in the elderly. II. Postmortem pathological correlations. Stroke 17: 1090–1097

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aylward EH, Roberts-Twillie JV, Barta PE, Kumar AJ, Harris GJ, Geer M, Peyser CE, Pearlson GD (1994) Basal ganglia volumes and white matter hyperintensities in patients with bipolar disorder. Am J Psychiatry 151: 687–693

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baloh RW, Vinters HV (1995) White matter lesions and disequilibrium in older people. II. Clinicopathologic correlation. Arch Neurol 52: 975–981

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A (1989) Regulation of cognitive processes through perceived self-efficacy. Dev Psychol 25: 729–735

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum KA, Schulte C, Girke W, Reischies FM, Felix R (1996) Incidental white-matter foci on MRI in “healthy” subjects: evidence of subtle cognitive dysfunction. Neuroradiology 38: 755–760

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Binetti G, Padovani A, Magni E, Bianchetti A, Scuratti A, Lenzi GL, Trabucchi M (1995) Delusions and dementia: clinical and CT correlates. Acta Neurol Scandi 91: 271–275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blennow K, Wallin A, Uhlemann C, Gottfries CG (1991) White-matter lesions on CT in Alzheimer patients: relation to clinical symptomatology and vascular factors. Acta Neurol Scand 83: 187–193

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blessed G, Tomlinson BE, Roth M (1968) The association between quantitative measures of dementia and of senile change in the cerebral grey matter of elderly subjects. Br J Psychiatry 114: 797–811

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boone KB, Miller BL, Lesser IM, Mehringer CM, Hill-Gutierrez E, Goldberg MA, Berman NG (1992) Neuropsychological correlates of white-matter lesions in healthy elderly subjects. A threshold effect. Arch Neurol 49: 549–554

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brand N, Jolies J (1987) Information processing in depression and anxiety. Psychol Med 17: 145–153

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Breteler MM, van Amerongen NM, van Swieten JC, Claus JJ, Grobbee DE, van Gijn J, Hofman A, van Harskamp F (1994) Cognitive correlates of ventricular enlargement and cerebral white matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging. The Rotterdam Study. Stroke 25: 1109–1115

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown FW (1993) The neurobiology of late-life psychosis. [Review]. Crit Rev Neurobiol 7: 275–289

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cavanaugh JC, Green EE (1990) I believe, therefore I can: Self-efficacy beliefs in memory aging. [References.] In: Lovelace EA (ed) North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 189–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Challa VR, Moody DM (1987) White-matter lesions in MR imaging of elderly subjects. [Letter.] Radiology 164: 874–875

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings JL (1986) Subcortical dementia. Neuropsychology, neuropsychiatry, and pathophysiology. [Review.] Br J Psychiatry 149: 682–697

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings JL, Benson DF (1988) Psychological dysfunction accompanying subcortical dementias. [Review.] Ann Rev Med 39: 53–61

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • de la Monte SM (1989) Quantitation of cerebral atrophy in preclinical and end-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Ann Neurol 25: 450–459

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeCarli C, Murphy DG, Tranh M, Grady CL, Haxby JV, Gillette JA, Salerno JA, Gonzales-Aviles A, Horwitz B, Rapoport SI, et al (1995) The effect of white matter hyperintensity volume on brain structure, cognitive performance, and cerebral metabolism of glucose in 51 healthy adults. Neurology 45: 2077–2084

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derix MAA (1994) Neuropsychological differentiation of dementia syndromes. Lisse, Swets en Zeitlinger

    Google Scholar 

  • Diaz JF, Merskey H, Hachinski VC, Lee DH, Boniferro M, Wong CJ, Mirsen TR, Fox H (1991) Improved recognition of leukoaraiosis and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. Arch Neurol 48: 1022–1025

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon RA, Hultsch DF, Hertzog C (1988) The metamemory in adulthood (MIA) questionnaire [published erratum appears in Psychopharmacol Bull (1989) 25: 157]. Psychopharmacol Bull 24: 671–688

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dupont RM, Jernigan TL, Heindel W, Butters N, Shafer K, Wilson T, Hesselink J, Gillin JC (1995) Magnetic resonance imaging and mood disorders. Localization of white matter and other subcortical abnormalities. Arch Gen Psychiatry 52: 747–755

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Erkinjuntti T, Ketonen L, Sulkava R, Sipponen J, Vuorialho M, Iivanainen M (1987) Do white matter changes on MRI and CT differentiate vascular dementia from Alzheimer’s disease? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 50: 37–42

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fazekas F, Kleinert R, Offenbacher H, Schmidt R, Kleinert G, Payer F, Radner H, Lechner H (1993) Pathologic correlates of incidental MRI white matter signal hyperintensities. Neurology 43: 1683–1689

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fein G, Van Dyke C, Davenport L, Turetsky B, Brant-Zawadzki M, Zatz L, Dillon W, Valk P (1990) Preservation of normal cognitive functioning in elderly subjects with extensive white-matter lesions of long duration. Arch Gen Psychiatry 47: 220–223

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Figiel GS, Krishnan KR, Rao VP, Doraiswamy M, Ellinwood E, Jr, Nemeroff CB, Evans D, Boyko O (1991) Subcortical hyperintensities on brain magnetic resonance imaging: a comparison of normal and bipolar subjects. J Neuropsychiatr Clin Neurosci 3: 18–22

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer P, Gatterer G, Marterer A, Danielczyk W (1988) Nonspecificity of semantic impairment in dementia of Alzheimer’s type. Arch Neurol 45: 1341–1343

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR (1975) “Mini-mental state”. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res 12: 189–198

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fukui T, Sugita K, Sato Y, Takeuchi T, Tsukagoshi H (1994) Cognitive functions in subjects with incidental cerebral hyperintensities. Eur Neurol 34: 272–276

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gawnecain ML, Silver NC, Moseley IF, Miller DH (1997) Fast FLAIR of the brain: the range of appearances in normal subjects and its application to quantification of white-matter disease. Neuroradiology 39: 243–249

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harrell LE, Duvall E, Folks DG, Duke L, Bartolucci A, Conboy T, Callaway R, Kerns D (1991) The relationship of high-intensity signals on magnetic resonance images to cognitive and psychiatric state in Alzheimer’s disease. Arch Neurol 48: 1136–1140

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hersch EL (1979) Development and application of the extended scale for dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 27: 348–354

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Houx PJ, Jolies J, Vreeling FW (1993) Stroop interference: aging effects assessed with the Stroop Color-Word Test. Exp Aging Res 19: 209–224

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt AL, Orrison WW, Yeo RA, Haaland KY, Rhyne RL, Garry PJ, Rosenberg GA (1989) Clinical significance of MRI white matter lesions in the elderly [see comments]. Neurology 39: 1470–1474

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson KA, Davis KR, Buonanno FS, Brady TJ, Rosen TJ, Growdon JH (1987) Comparison of magnetic resonance and roentgen ray computed tomography in dementia. Arch Neurol 44: 1075–1080

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Junque C, Pujol J, Vendrell P, Bruna O, Jodar M, Ribas JC, Vinas J, Capdevila A, Marti-Vilalta JL (1990) Leuko-araiosis on magnetic resonance imaging and speed of mental processing. Arch Neurol 47: 151–156

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick JB, Hayman LA (1987) White-matter lesions in MR imaging of clinically healthy brains of elderly subjects: possible pathologic basis. Radiology 162: 509–511

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leys D, Soetaert G, Petit H, Fauquette A, Pruvo JP, Steinling M (1990) Periventricular and white matter magnetic resonance imaging hyperintensities do not differ between Alzheimer’s disease and normal aging [see comments]. Arch Neurol 47: 524–527

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lezak MD (1995) Neuropsychological assesment. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Liao DP, Cooper L, Cai JW, Toole JF, Bryan NR, Hutchinson RG, Tyroler HA (1996) Presence and severity of cerebral white matter lesions and hypertension, its treatment, and its control: the ARIC study. Stroke 27: 2262–2270

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Longstreth W, Jr, Manolio TA, Arnold A, Burke GL, Bryan N, Jungreis CA, Enright PL, O’Leary D, Fried L (1996) Clinical correlates of white matter findings on cranial magnetic resonance imaging of 3301 elderly people. The Cardiovascular Health Study [see comments]. Stroke 27: 1274–1282

    Google Scholar 

  • Lopez OL, Becker JT, Rezek D, Wess J, Boiler F, Reynolds CD, Panisset M (1992) Neuropsychiatric correlates of cerebral white-matter radiolucencies in probable Alzheimer’s disease. Arch Neurol 49: 828–834

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lovelace A (1990) Aging and cognition: mental processes, self-awareness, and interventions. North Holland, Amsterdam, 452: 15

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovelace EA (1990) Aging and metacognitions concerning memory function. [References.] In: Lovelace EA (ed) Aging and cognition. North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 157–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Malloy PF, Cummings JL, Coffey CE, Duffy J, Fink M, Lauterbach EC, Lovell M, Royall D, Salloway S (1997) Cognitive screening instruments in neuropsychiatry: a report of the committee on research of the American Neuropsychiatric Association. J Neuropsychiatr Clin Neurosci 9: 189–197

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matsubayashi K, Shimada K, Kawamoto A, Ozawa T (1992) Incidental brain lesions on magnetic resonance imaging and neurobehavioral functions in the apparently healthy elderly. Stroke 23: 175–180

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald WM, Krishnan KR, Doraiswamy PM, Blazer DG (1991) Occurrence of sub-cortical hyperintensities in elderly subjects with mania. Psychiatr Res 40: 211–220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mirsen TR, Lee DH, Wong CJ, Diaz JF, Fox AJ, Hachinski VC, Merskey H (1991) Clinical correlates of white-matter changes on magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain. Arch Neurol 48: 1015–1021

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pollman S, Haupt M, Kurz A (1995) Changes of the relative severity of naming, fluency and recall impairment in the course of dementia of the Alzheimer type. Dementia 6: 252–257

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ponds RW, Jolies J (1996) The Abridged Dutch Metamemory in Adulthood (MIA) Questionnaire: structure and effects of age, sex, and education. Psychol Aging 11: 324–332

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Radloff LS (1977) The CES-D Scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl Psychol Measurem 1: 385–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao SM, Mittenberg W, Bernardin L, Haughton V, Leo GJ (1989) Neuropsychological test findings in subjects with leukoaraiosis. Arch Neurol 46: 40–44

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reitan RM (1958) Validity of trail making test as an indicator of organic brain damage. Percept Mot Skills 8: 271–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Rezek DL, Morris JC, Fulling KH, Gado MH (1987) Periventricular white matter lucencies in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type and in normal aging. Neurology 37: 1365–1368

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salloway S, Malloy P, Kohn R, Gillard E, Duffy J, Rogg J, Tung G, Richardson E, Thomas C, Westlake R (1996) MRI and neuropsychological differences in early-and late-life-onset geriatric depression. Neurology 46: 1567–1574

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheltens P, Barkhof F, Leys D, Wolters EC, Ravid R, Kamphorst W (1995) Histopathologic correlates of white matter changes on MRI in Alzheimer’s disease and normal aging. Neurology 45: 883–888

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheltens P, Barkhof F, Valk J, Algra PR, van der Hoop RG, Nauta J, Wolters EC (1992) White matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging in clinically diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease. Evidence for heterogeneity. Brain 115: 735–748

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt R, Fazekas F, Offenbacher H, Lytwyn H, Blematl B, Niederkorn K, Horner S, Payer F, Freidl W (1991) Magnetic resonance imaging white matter lesions and cognitive impairment in hypertensive individuals. Arch Neurol 48: 417–420

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt R, Fazekas F, Offenbacher H, Dusek T, Zach E, Reinhart B, Grieshofer P, Freidl W, Eber B, Schumacher M, et al (1993) Neuropsychologic correlates of MRI white matter hyperintensities: a study of 150 normal volunteers. Neurology 43: 2490–2494

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schofield PW, Marder M, Dooneief G, Jacobs DM, Sano M, Stern Y (1997) Association of subjective memory complaints with subsequent cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly individuals with baseline cognitive impairment. Am J Psychiatry 154: 609–615

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Skoog I, Berg S, Johansson B, Palmertz B, Andreasson LA (1996) The influence of white matter lesions on neuropsychological functioning in demented and non-demented 85-year-olds. Acta Neurol Scand 93: 142–148

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith A (1968) The Symbol Digit Modalities Test: a neuropsychological test for economic screening of learning and other cerebral disorders. Learn Disord 3: 83–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Steingart A, Hachinski VC, Lau C, Fox AJ, Diaz F, Cape R, Lee D, Inzitari D, Merskey H (1987) Cognitive and neurologic findings in subjects with diffuse white matter lucencies on computed tomographic scan (leuko-araiosis). Arch Neurol 44: 32–35

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steingart A, Hachinski VC, Lau C, Fox AJ, Fox H, Lee D, Inzitari D, Merskey H (1987) Cognitive and neurologic findings in demented patients with diffuse white matter lucencies on computed tomographic scan (leuko-araiosis). Arch Neurol 44: 36–39

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg S (1975) Memory scanning: new findings and current controversies. Quart J Exp Psychol 27: 1–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stroop JR (1935) Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. J Exp Psychol 18: 643–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sze G, De Armond SJ, Brant-Zawadzki M, Davis RL, Norman D, Newton TH (1986) Foci of MRI signal (pseudo lesions) anterior to the frontal horns: histologic correlations of a normal finding. Am J Roentgenol 147: 331–337

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Teng EL, Chui HC (1987) The Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) examination. J Clin Psychiatr 48: 314–318

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tiffin J (1948) SRA Examiner’s Manual for the Purdue Pegboard. Science Research Associate, Inc., Chicago, 111

    Google Scholar 

  • Tupler LA, Coffey CE, Logue PE, Djang WT, Fagan SM (1992) Neuropsychological importance of subcortical white matter hyperintensity. [Review.] Arch Neurol 49: 1248–1252

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van Swieten JC, Hijdra A, Koudstaal PJ, van Gijn J (1990) Grading white matter lesions on CT and MRI: a simple scale. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 53: 1080–1083

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Swieten JC, Geyskes GG, Derix MM, Peeck BM, Ramos LM, van Latum JC, van Gijn J (1991) Hypertension in the elderly is associated with white matter lesions and cognitive decline. Ann Neurol 30: 825–830

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vega A (1969) Use of Purdue pegboard and finger tapping performance as a rapid screening test for brain damage. J Clin Psychol 25: 255–258

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wahlund LO (1996) Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in Alzheimer’s disease. Acta Neurol Scand [Suppl] 168: 50–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wahlund LO, Basun H, Almkvist O, Andersson-Lundman G, Julin P, Saaf J (1994) White matter hyperintensities in dementia: does it matter? Magn Reson Imag 12: 387–394

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler DA (1945) A standardized memory scale for clinical use. J Psychol 19: 87–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler DA (1955) The Wechsler adult intelligence scale: manual. Psychological Corporation, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ylikoski R, Ylikoski A, Erkinjuntti T, Sulkava R, Raininko R, Tilvis R (1993) White matter changes in healthy elderly persons correlate with attention and speed of mental processing. Arch Neurol 50: 818–824

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer-Verlag Wien

About this paper

Cite this paper

de Groot, J.C., de Leeuw, F.E., Breteler, M.M.B. (1998). Cognitive correlates of cerebral white matter changes. In: Jellinger, K., Fazekas, F., Windisch, M. (eds) Ageing and Dementia. Journal of Neural Transmission. Supplementa, vol 53. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6467-9_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6467-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-83114-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-6467-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics