engleski

Vascular ultrasound parameters and cognitive performance in patients with dementia

Background and aim: Non-invasive neurosonology methods are known to be a convenient tool in the assessment of vascular changes of both extracranial and basal cerebral arteries. Vascular pathology is common characteristics of both vascular dementia (VAD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), so these methods are increasing in importance in order to early recognize the patients at possible risk of clinically evident dementia. The aim of this study was to compare vascular ultrasound parameters and cognitive decline in patients with VAD and AD. Patients and methods: The study included 16 patients diagnosed with AD (8 men and 8 women, mean age72, 19 +- 6, 86 years) and 22 patients with VAD (14 women and 8 men, mean age 70, 20 +- 15, 50 years) with similar scores on MMSE (mean 19, 95 +- 5, 01 points). Ultrasound measurements on common carotid artery (CCA) were performed using Aloka ProSound ALPHA 10 with 13 MHz linear probe. Results: Both groups did not differ significantly in mean MMSE scores (20, 38 +- 4, 73 points for patients with AD ; 19, 80 +- 5, 19 points for patients with VAD). We found no statistically significant differences among both groups regarding body mass index, blood and pulse pressure, intima media thickness, CCA diameter and beta stiffness index. However, regression analysis for both groups proved that MMSE corresponds to vascular diameter change and beta stiffness index increase (p<0, 01). Conclusion: Positive correlation between MMSE results and vascular parameters, such as vascular diameter increase and beta stiffness increase indicate that non-invasive monitoring vascular changes with ultrasound may be useful in follow up of demented patients. The same method would probably be useful in early identification of subjects at the presymptomatic stage of cognitive decline.

neurosonology; dementia

doi:10.1016/j.jns.2009.02.279