Silent infarcts don’t impair cognition

When patients already are vascular compromised, the presence of a silent brain infarct does not add to the cognitive dysfunction. But symptomatic cerebrovascular disease does affect cognitive function more severely. Fleur van Raamt concludes this from her PhD-thesis.

In her project Van Raamt assessed cognitive function in three categories of patients with manifest arterial disease: no stroke or TIA, and no silent infarcts; silent infarcts; or stroke or TIA at inclusion. While silent infarcts did not influence cognitive function in these patients, patients with stroke or TIA had lower scores than patients with symptoms elsewhere in the arterial tree.

Van Raamt also investigated whether the risk factors known to affect markers of brain damage in the general population, also effectuate brain damage in patients who already have symptomatic arterial disease. She found that elevated levels of homocysteine were related to slightly lower global cognitive function. The results suggest that vascular mechanisms are not responsible for the relationship between homocysteine and cognitive function.

Thesis: “Brain damage in patients with manifest arterial disease”
PhD-advisor 1: prof. dr. Y. van der Graaf
PhD-advisor 2: prof. dr. W.P.Th.M. Mali
Co-advisor: dr. S. Kalmijn