Cerebral White Matter Lesions and the Risk of Dementia
Authors:
- Niels D. PrinsNPNiels D. Prins
- Ewoud J. van DijkEDEwoud J. van Dijk
- Tom Den HeijerTHTom Den Heijer
- Sarah E. VermeerSVSarah E. Vermeer
- Peter J. KoudstaalPKPeter J. Koudstaal
- Matthijs OudkerkMOMatthijs Oudkerk
- Albert HofmanAHAlbert Hofman
- Monique M. B. BretelerMBMonique M. B. Breteler
Open Access
- 1 October 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of Neurology
- Vol. 61 (10) , 1531-1534
Abstract
Cerebral white matter lesions (WML) in elderly people are thought to result from small-vessel disease and are considered to be a risk factor for dementia.1 Evidence relating WML to dementia is mainly derived from studies in patients with stroke and fromcross-sectional studies in patients with dementia. White matter lesions increase the risk of poststroke dementia and, together with lacunar infarcts, are considered the primary type of brain lesions in subcortical ischemic vascular dementia.1,2 Small-vessel disease may also contribute to the development of Alzheimer disease (AD), because patients with AD were found to have more WML than controls.3Keywords
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