title: MRI-defined subcortical ischemic vascular disease: baseline clinical and neuropsychological findings. The LADIS Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) is a common, but often overlooked cause of vascular cognitive impairment. Diagnostic research criteria for SIVD are based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings including substantial white matter lesions (WML) and multiple lacunar infarcts. Empirical studies validating these imaging criteria are still few. The purpose of the study was to describe the clinical and cognitive characteristics of the MRI-defined SIVD in a mixed sample of functionally independent elderly subjects with WML.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects of the Leukoaraiosis and Disability (LADIS) study, aged 65-84 years, underwent comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological examinations, and brain MRI at the baseline assessment. The subjects meeting the SIVD imaging criteria (n = 89) were compared to the other subjects of the sample (n = 524).
  
  
  RESULTS
  SIVD was associated with lower education, hypertension and, independently, with obesity. The subjects with SIVD had more often motor impairment, a history of falls, and subtle impairment in activities of daily living, but they did not differ for depressive symptoms. SIVD subjects performed significantly inferiorly in tests of global cognitive function, psychomotor speed, attention and executive functions, verbal fluency, and working memory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this population of nondisabled older adults with WML, SIVD was related to specific clinical and functional characteristics. Neuropsychological features included psychomotor slowing as well as deficits in attention and executive functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. hanna.jokinen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jokinen
authors.forename: Hely
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalska
authors.forename: Raija
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ylikoski
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madureira
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verdelho
authors.forename: Alida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gouw
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scheltens
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barkhof
authors.forename: Marieke C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fazekas
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hennerici
authors.forename: Hansjorg
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baezner
authors.forename: Gunhild
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waldemar
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wallin
authors.forename: Hugues
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chabriat
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pantoni
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inzitari
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erkinjuntti
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003071:Cognition; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009765:Obesity; D011597:Psychomotor Performance