Characterization of cerebral microangiopathy using 3 Tesla MRI: correlation with neurological impairment and vascular risk factors.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether clinical and neuropsychological impairment in cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD) can be evaluated by means of morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


METHODS
MRI at 3 Tesla in T2- and T1-weighted sequences was evaluated in 44 patients with cerebral microangiopathy, and 30 patients with combined cerebral micro- and macroangiopathy. The MR characteristics were correlated to clinical data, attentional impairment, and the patients' individual vascular risk factor profiles. Fifteen healthy age-matched control subjects participated in the study to assess MR signal changes in nonhypertensive elderly subjects.


RESULTS
Patients and normal controls differed significantly in the extent of MR signal changes. A close relation between age, obesity, hypertension, and MR signal abnormalities was evident in all patients. Patients with pure CSVD additionally showed an association between their MR-defined severity of disease and their degree of neurological impairment, and their vascular risk score. In contrast, attentional impairment did not relate to the MR-defined severity of CSVD.


CONCLUSIONS
MR signal changes in CSVD show a close relationship to some risk factors of individual patients.
Hund-Georgiadis
Margret
M
Max-Planck Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Leipzig, Germany. hund@cns.mpg.de
Ballaschke
Olaf
O
Scheid
Rainer
R
Norris
David G
DG
von Cramon
D Yves
DY
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors