Cognitive performance after lacunar stroke correlates with leukoaraiosis severity.
BACKGROUND
This study investigates the effect of leukoaraiosis on patients presenting with cognitive impairment after lacunar stroke.


METHODS
Fourty-six patients with cognitive impairment and newly discovered lacunar stroke detected by brain magnetic resonance imaging underwent neuropsychological testing.


RESULTS
Patients with both lacunar infarct and leukoaraiosis performed less well on cognitive measures, compared to those with lacunar infarcts alone. Additionally, leukoaraiosis severity inversely correlated with cognitive performance.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with lacunar stroke, presence of leukoaraiosis is associated with worse performance in multiple cognitive domains. These findings suggest lacunar infarcts plus leukoaraiosis is a common etiology for vascular dementia.
McMurtray
Aaron M
AM
Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
Liao
Alex
A
Haider
Janelle
J
Licht
Eliot
E
Mendez
Mario F
MF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049292:Leukoaraiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology