Study On The Correlation Between Cerebral White Matter Lesions And Cognitive Function

Objectives:To investigate the cognitive function impairment of patients with cerebral white matter lesions at different extent and different location, and study the change of cognitive function in the patients with both white matter lesions (WML)and lacunar infarction (LI).It has important value for predicting stroke, dementia, the declining ability of the daily life.Methods:Selecting96patients with WML during2013November-2014January in the Department of Neurology of Shandong Provincial Hospital, and collecting the clinical information. According to the Fazekas scale on the MRI T2and FLAIR imaging, classified the96patients into pure WML group (WML-mild,WML-moderate, WML-sever) and WML-LI group depending on the extent, then classified pure WML group into2groups (periventricular lesions and deep WML)depending on the location.20normal person as matched group.All the subjects’ cognitive status were assessed with the mini mental state examination (MMSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the activity of daily living (ADL).Results:1. Compared with matched group and WML-mild group, WML-moderate and WML-severe group had significantly lows scores in total MMSE scores, MoCA scores. Only in the total MoCA scores and in the scores of visual spatial and executive function have differences between the matched group and WML-mild group. WML-severe group had lower scores than the WML-moderate group in the scores of visual spatial and executive function, attention and calculation, language, abstraction, memory.2. The WML-DWML group had significantly lower scores in MoCA scores,visual spatial and executive function than the WML-PVL group. The scores of the MMSE scores, language, oreintation, attention and calculation, abstraction and memory between the two groups are in no difference.3. The WML-LI group had markedly lower scores in total MMSE scores, MoCA scores, visual spatial and executive function, attention and calculation, language, abstraction,memory and oreintation than the pure WML group.Conclusion:(1) white matter lesions can cause the patients’ cognitive decline in a certain extent. The heavier degree of white matter lesions, cognitive decline in patients with more serious.(2) Periventricular and deep WML may have different influence on cognitive function. The DWML group may has more effects on cognition than the Periventricular WML group, especially on visual spatial and executive function.(3) In patients with both WML and LI, cognitive declines is more popular.