The difference between sub-cortical and white matter dementia occurs with procedural memory, which is impaired in subcortical dementia, but normal in white matter dementia as it is in cortical dementia. Thus, white matter dementia is seen as a memory retrieval deficit with normal procedural memory.
White matter disease is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease risk factors, and researchers believe that white matter disease is a biomarker (medical sign) of the lifelong risk of stroke, dementia and disability.
White matter lesions (WMLs) are areas of abnormal myelination in the brain. These lesions are best visualized as hyperintensities on T2 weighted and FLAIR (Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) sequences of magnetic resonance imaging. They are considered a marker of small vessel disease.
In general, the prognosis is grave, with the majority of patients dying after a few years. However, some die only after several months, and some manage to survive for several decades [6].
Research studies have found a correlation between people who have dementia and reduced gray matter volume in the brain. In people with Alzheimer's disease, the hippocampus, in particular, is noted to experience atrophy.
Unlike Alzheimer's disease, which shrinks the hippocampus causing progressive memory loss, white matter disease is a more diffuse mind-robbing condition that targets small blood vessels deep within the brain's white matter.
The difference between sub-cortical and white matter dementia occurs with procedural memory, which is impaired in subcortical dementia, but normal in white matter dementia as it is in cortical dementia. Thus, white matter dementia is seen as a memory retrieval deficit with normal procedural memory.
This is your brain on aging
By age 60, this degeneration, termed white matter disease, is present in more than half of the population.
White matter injuries are very serious, but, depending on the type and extent of the injury, extensive recovery may occur. As long as the neuron cell bodies remain healthy, axons can regrow and slowly repair themselves.
While there is no known cure for white matter disease, treatments can help to manage the symptoms. Controlling the risk factors associated with heart disease can help decrease the progression of the disease.
White matter, on the other hand, responds mainly to a steady diet of healthy fats, because brain matter is made up of fats. If you are out for dinner, dump dark green olive oil all over your meal. Or go for other sources of wonderful fats: cold water fish, organic nut butters, coconut and avocados.
Four stages were defined by dividing individuals into simple quartiles corresponding to those with the lowest total WMSA (Quartile I, n = 25), mid-low total WMSA (Quartile II, n = 25), mid-high total WMSA (Quartile III, n = 25), and highest total WMSA (Quartile IV, n = 22) (Fig.
White matter plays an essential role in communication within the brain and between the brain and spinal cord. As a result, damage to this tissue can lead to issues with: problem-solving.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Repeat scans can show how a person's brain changes over time. Evidence of shrinkage may support a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or another neurodegenerative dementia but cannot indicate a specific diagnosis. MRI also provides a detailed picture of brain blood vessels.
They are very common in the aging brain, with an in‐life prevalence of over 90% in the over‐65 age group, the volume of lesions increasing with age group in the over‐60s 15, 42. Although often an incidental finding, they are clinically significant.
White matter dynamically changes in response to learning, stress, and social experiences. Several lines of evidence have reported white matter dysfunction in psychiatric conditions, including depression, stress- and anxiety-related disorders.
Age-related white matter disease is progressive, meaning it can get worse. But you can take steps to stop it from spreading. Scientists think you might even be able to repair the damage, if you catch it early. Keep your blood pressure and blood sugar in check.
Vanishing white matter (VWM) disease is an inherited condition caused by a faulty gene. Children with VWM disease have a defective protein that prevents the body from making enough myelin, a white, fatty substance that insulates nerve fibers, protecting them from damage.
International studies revealed a significantly higher prevalence of depressive disorders in people with white matter lesions (WMLs) than in health (1–3). Additionally, the correlation between white matter alterations in various parts of the brain and depressive disorder is different (4).
Patients with extensive white matter hyperintensities are likely to have tension-type headaches or to have headaches develop during middle age, according to results published in Cephalagia. Currently, there are no established treatments or strategies for managing white matter hyperintensities.
“In general, white matter disease causes acute MS symptoms, like numbness and weakness," Stone says. "Gray matter disease causes progressive symptoms, like fatigue and memory loss. These higher brain functions are called cognitive functions. Most MS disability actually comes from cognitive dysfunction."
White matter disease in midlife is heritable, related to hypertension, and shares some genetic influence with systolic blood pressure.
White matter (WM) changes are often found in patients with vascular dementia, especially of small vessel/subcortical subtypes, including Binswanger's disease, and are generally considered to be a consequence of chronic ischemia associated with microangiopathy.
Now a study has shown that white matter hyperintensities are also found in frontotemporal dementia. Frontotemporal dementia, which often affects people under the age of 65, mainly results in changes in personality, behavior and problems with language rather than memory.