title: A study on cognitive impairment and gray matter volume abnormalities in silent cerebral infarction patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between silent cerebral infarction (SCI) and the integrity of cognitive function is unknown. We intended to investigate whether cognitive impairment is associated with gray matter volume (GMV) in the SCI patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two patients with SCI and 62 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were evaluated with P300 test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS). Whole brain high-resolution T1-weighted images were processed with SPM12b software and analyzed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Correlation analysis was performed between the GMV and the scores of MoCA Scale, P300 latency, P300 amplitude, HAMA, HDRS, age, and educational level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The brains of the SCI patients have a significant reduction in GMV in the left superior and inferior frontal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, and bilateral hippocampus gyrus (p < 0.01, FDR correction). No significant increase of GMV was detected. The GMV of their frontal and temporal lobes is positively correlated with the score of MoCA scale and P300 amplitude (r ≥ 0.62, p < 0.01). The GMV of frontal, temporal, and hippocampus is negatively correlated with P300 latency (r ≤ -0.71, p < 0.05). No significant correlation between the GMV of abnormal brain regions and another two clinical characteristics was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCI patients have impaired cognitive function and reduced GMV compared to the HC subjects. The neuropathological basis of such cognitive deficits in SCI patients might be a reduced GMV.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mengxiong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size