White matter hyperintensities in dementia of Alzheimer's type and in healthy subjects without cerebrovascular risk factors. A magnetic resonance imaging study

W. E. Kozachuk, C. DeCarli, M. B. Schapiro, E. E. Wagner, S. I. Rapoport and B. Horwitz
Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md 20892.

T2-weighted (0.5 T) magnetic resonance images were used to study the prevalence of subcortical white matter hyperintensities (WMHIs) in 22 patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT), 20 age-matched older healthy control subjects, and 10 younger healthy control subjects. Exclusionary criteria for all groups included cerebrovascular risk factors. All subjects had Hachinski Ischemic Index scores of less than 2 and computed tomographic scans showing no infarct. The WMHIs were classified as periventricular WMHIs or deep WMHIs and graded 0 through 3 (0 indicated absent, and 3, severe). For the group with DAT and older control subjects, periventricular WMHIs and deep WMHIs were graded 2 or 3 in fewer than 17% and 27% of subjects, respectively, whereas in the younger control subjects, all ratings were grade 1 or less. Serum cholesterol and systolic blood pressure values, although within the normal range, were elevated significantly in older control subjects when compared with those in younger control subjects. No significant differences in WMHI ratings, blood pressure, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels were found between patients with DAT and age-matched control subjects. Systolic blood pressure levels correlated with the severity of periventricular WMHIs only in older control subjects. Age correlated with periventricular WMHIs and deep WMHIs within both the older control subjects and the patients with DAT. There was no significant correlation between WMHIs and the severity of dementia in the group with DAT. These results suggest that, in subjects screened for cerebrovascular risk factors, WMHIs are rare and occur with identical frequency in patients with DAT as in age-matched healthy control subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Biomarkers of cerebrovascular disease in dementia
MILLS et al.
Br. J. Radiol. 2007;80:S128-S145.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Brain and behaviour in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: a volumetric and voxel-based morphometry MRI study
Campbell et al.
Brain 2006;129:1218-1228.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Brain Anatomy in Adults With Velocardiofacial Syndrome With and Without Schizophrenia: Preliminary Results of a Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
van Amelsvoort et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2004;61:1085-1096.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Differential Vulnerability of Anterior White Matter in Nondemented Aging with Minimal Acceleration in Dementia of the Alzheimer Type: Evidence from Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Head et al.
Cereb Cortex 2004;14:410-423.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Visual Rating Scales for Age-Related White Matter Changes (Leukoaraiosis): Can the Heterogeneity Be Reduced?
Pantoni et al.
Stroke 2002;33:2827-2833.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

White matter hyperintensities and neuropsychological outcome following carbon monoxide poisoning
Neurology 2002;58:1525-1532.
 

Structural brain abnormalities associated with deletion at chromosome 22q11: Quantitative neuroimaging study of adults with velo-cardio-facial syndrome
AMELSVOORT et al.
Br. J. Psychiatry 2001;178:412-419.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Prevalence of cerebral white matter lesions in elderly people: a population based magnetic resonance imaging study. The Rotterdam Scan Study
de Leeuw et al.
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 2001;70:9-14.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impact of White Matter Changes on Clinical Manifestation of Alzheimer's Disease : A Quantitative Study
Hirono et al.
Stroke 2000;31:2182-2188.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effect of the Apolipoprotein E {epsilon}4 Allele on White Matter Hyperintensities in Dementia
Hirono et al.
Stroke 2000;31:1263-1268.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Cross-sectional Association Between Blood Pressure and Alzheimer's Disease in a Biracial Community Population of Older Persons
Morris et al.
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 2000;55:130M-136.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impact of Apolipoprotein E {epsilon}4 and Vascular Disease on Brain Morphology in Men From the NHLBI Twin Study
DeCarli et al.
Stroke 1999;30:1548-1553.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Central nervous system involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus patients without overt neuropsychiatric manifestations
Sabbadini et al.
Lupus 1999;8:11-19.
ABSTRACT  

Systolic Blood Pressure Tracking Over 25 to 30 Years and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults
Swan et al.
Stroke 1998;29:2334-2340.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Cigarette Smoking Is Correlated With the Periventricular Hyperintensity Grade on Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Fukuda and Kitani
Stroke 1996;27:645-649.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

White Matter Hyperintensities on MRI in the Neurologically Nondiseased Elderly : Analysis of Cohorts of Consecutive Subjects Aged 55 to 85 Years Living at Home
Ylikoski et al.
Stroke 1995;26:1171-1177.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Significance of Cerebral White Matter Abnormalities 100 Years After Binswanger's Report : A Review
Pantoni and Garcia
Stroke 1995;26:1293-1301.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT