Leukoaraiosis and Risk of Dysequilibrium, Urinary Dysfunction or Cognitive Impairement

OBJECTIVE: In present study, we aimed the relation between white matter lesions, and cognitive impairment, dysequilibrium and urinary dysfunctions in elderly people.
METHODS: In this study we recruited 91 patients attending our neurology outpatient department. We investigated the presence of leukoaraiosis (LA) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Hyperintense lesions in T2 and proton weighted and non-hypotense lesions in T1 weighted sequences were considered as LA. MRIs of all cases were evaluated by means of a four grade scoring system -described previously in the literature. LA grades of patients with cognitive impairment, dysequilibrium and urinary dysfunctions were recorded.
RESULTS: There was significant associations between LA, and cognitive impairment, dysequilibrium and urinary dysfunctions (p<0.01). The proportion with white matter lesions increased with age, similarly for men and women (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that white matter abnormalities are related to cognitive impairment, dysequilibrium or urinary dysfunctions in elderly people. The degree of cerebral white matter lesions increased with age. Interpretation of the presence and severity of white-matter hyperintensities in a diagnostic context must be done cautiously.