The relation of White Matter Hyperintensities to implicit learning in healthy older adults.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether MRI evidence of cerebrovascular disease in the form of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) was associated with decreased implicit sequence learning performance in a high-functioning group of normal elderly volunteers.


METHODS
One hundred and eight community-dwelling elderly individuals received an MRI and performed an implicit sequence learning task, the serial reaction time (SRT) task.


RESULTS
Hyperintensities present in the white matter were associated with a decreased learning effect. This association was found with both deep white matter and periventricular changes. Other factors affecting SRT performance (i.e., baseline reaction time and switch-cost) were not significantly related to the presence of WMH.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that in addition to previously identified generalized cognitive deficits, WMH are also associated with a specific decrease in the implicit learning of sequences.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. aizen@pitt.edu
H J
HJ
Aizenstein
R D
RD
Nebes
C C
CC
Meltzer
M B
MB
Fukui
R L
RL
Williams
J
J
Saxton
P R
PR
Houck
C S
CS
Carter
C F
CF
Reynolds
S T
ST
DeKosky
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011930:Reaction Time