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A white‐matter disease in dementia of Alzheimer's type – clinical and neuropathological correlates
Author(s) -
Englund Elisabet,
Brun Arne,
Gustafson Lars
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.930040207
Subject(s) - dementia , white matter , grey matter , medicine , alzheimer's disease , disease , cardiology , central nervous system disease , pathology , psychology , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology
Abstract A correlative neuropathological‐clinical study was undertaken in order to analyse the possible clinical effects of the selective incomplete white‐matter infarctions (SIWI) frequently found in dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT). The cases studied represent DAT with and without concomitant SIWI, non‐Alzheimer dementia with SIWI and cerebrovascular dementia, including multi‐infarct dementia and Binswanger's disease. The structural grey and white matter changes were examined and the clinical symptoms and signs were analysed. The occurrence of cardiovascular disease and abnormal blood pressure was studied as well. The results show that cardiovascular disease and systemic hypotension occur frequently in cases with SIWI and they are considered of pathogenetic importance for SIWI. Symptoms and signs of a non‐focal cerebrovascular/ischaemic type, mainly vertigo, fainting and a fluctuating course, are associated with SIWI. In DAT and SIWI, the clinical picture of DAT is altered accordingly, compared to DAT with normal white matter.