title: Risk factors for white matter changes detected by magnetic resonance imaging in the elderly.
abstract: We found increased age (p = 0.001) and history or evidence of stroke (p = 0.016) to be significant independent multivariate predictors of the presence and severity of leukoencephalopathy on magnetic resonance imaging brain scans in a mixed population of 35 elderly psychiatric patients and 25 neurologically healthy elderly volunteers. These results suggest that subcortical ischemia, as well as age-related changes that may not be vascular in origin, contribute to the emergence of periventricular and other deep white matter hyperintensities that are commonly seen on the magnetic resonance imaging brain scans of older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pa.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pary
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Telang
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Rifai
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Zubenko
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000473:pathology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000473:pathology; D007968:Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors