The relation of white matter hyperintensities to cognitive performance in the normal old: education matters.

Full Abstract

This study examined whether the severity of cerebral white matter abnormalities (evident on MR images as white matter hyperintensities (WMH)) was related to the cognitive performance of 141 high-functioning older adults. The elderly showed the typical age decrement on measures of processing speed, working memory, and inhibition; however WMH severity was significantly related only to processing speed. The strength of this relationship was, however, influenced by the educational level of the participants, such that processing speed was more associated with WMH severity in less-educated than in well-educated participants. This is consistent with recent concepts of cognitive reserve, but does raise a question as to the underlying source of the cognitive decrement found in the sort of well-educated elders typically used in cognitive-aging studies.

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Author information

Author/s: Nebes, Robert D (RD); Meltzer, Carolyn C (CC); Whyte, Ellen M (EM); Scanlon, Joelle M (JM); Halligan, Edythe M (EM); Saxton, Judith A (JA); Houck, Patricia R (PR); Boada, Fernando E (FE); Dekosky, Steven T (ST);

Affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, USA. nebesrd(-atsign-)upmc.edu

Grants: AG05133 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; AG14051 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; MH19986 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; MH60473 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition (Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2006 Sep-Dec; vol 13 (issue 3-4) : pp 326-40

Dates: Created 2006/08/04; Completed 2006/09/08; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 16887777, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Brain - anatomy & histology; physiology
Cognition - physiology
Educational Status
Female

Female
Geriatric Assessment
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods
Inhibition (Psychology)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Memory - physiology
Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data

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