Article Text

Download PDFPDF
Neuropsychological, psychiatric, and cerebral perfusion correlates of leukoaraiosis in Alzheimer’s disease
  1. S E Starksteina,b,
  2. L Sabea,
  3. S Vázquezc,
  4. G Di Lorenzod,
  5. A Martínezd,
  6. G Petraccaa,
  7. A Tesóna,
  8. E Chemerinskia,
  9. R Leiguardab
  1. aDepartment of Behavioral Neurology, bDepartments of Clinical Neurology, cDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, dDepartment of Neuroradiology, Raúl Carrea Institute of Neurological Research, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  1. Dr Sergio E Starkstein, Raúl Carrea Institute of Neurological Research, Montañeses 2325, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To examine neurological, neuropsychological, psychiatric, and cerebral perfusion correlates of leukoaraiosis in Alzheimer’s disease.

METHODS A consecutive series of patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease was assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, a structured psychiatric evaluation, the unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale, MRI, and single photon emission computed tomography with technetium 99m hexamethylpropylene-amine oxime (HMPAO) and regional cerebral perfusion measurements.

RESULTS Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and leukoaraiosis were significantly more apathetic and had significantly more extrapyramidal signs than patients with Alzheimer’s disease without leukoaraiosis. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease with leukoaraiosis also had significantly lower bilateral perfusion in the basal ganglia, thalamus, and frontal lobes than patients with Alzheimer’s disease without leukoaraiosis. On the other hand, there were no significant differences between groups in age, duration of illness, depression scores, severity of delusions, or deficits on specific neuropsychological tasks.

CONCLUSIONS Leukoaraiosis in Alzheimer’s disease may produce significant basal ganglia, and thalamic and frontal lobe dysfunction, which may be associated with more severe apathy and extrapyramidal signs.

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • leukoaraiosis
  • frontal lobes

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

Footnotes