Age-Related White Matter Changes
Author Information
Author(s): Xiong Yun Yun, Vincent Mok
Primary Institution: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hypothesis
The paper aims to provide an update review on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, neuroimaging, clinical importance, chemical biomarkers, and treatments of age-related white matter changes.
Conclusion
Age-related white matter changes are common in the elderly and are associated with various poor clinical outcomes.
Supporting Evidence
- WMC are associated with cognitive impairment, dementia, urinary incontinence, gait disturbances, depression, and increased risk of stroke and death.
- Prevalence of WMC ranges from 50% to 98% in community elderly.
- Age and hypertension are established risk factors for WMC.
- WMC progression is associated with baseline severity of lesions.
- Longitudinal studies show that WMC progression parallels cognitive decline.
Takeaway
As people get older, changes in the brain's white matter can lead to problems like memory loss and difficulty walking.
Methodology
The literature search was conducted using the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) PubMed/Medline to identify relevant articles related to white matter changes published until June 2011.
Limitations
The review is based on existing literature, and many studies have inconsistent results or small sample sizes.
Participant Demographics
The review discusses findings primarily related to elderly populations.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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