COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN SUBLETS WITH INCIDENTAL CEREBRAL HYPERINTENSITIES

We investigated the association between incidental cerebral hyperinten sities (CH) found by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive fu nctions in neurologically normal, nondemented subjects. Semiquantitati ve scores for MRI lesions and those for brain atrophy were compared wi th the results of extensive cognitive examinations using multivariate analysis. There was no correlation between CH and cognition, except th at periventricular hyperintensities, especially those in posterior loc ations, were associated with reduced performance in the Stroop test. O verall cognitive functions were associated with age, and age was a pre dominant factor in the prefrontal functions. Brain atrophy was associa ted more with decline of the posterior and dorsolateral frontal brain functions. We suggest that disturbances in attention and speed may ini tially result from incidental CH, while other cognitive functions rema in unaffected.