Abstract:

Objective   To investigate the relationship between the cognitive function level and cerebral hemodynamics in patients with leukoaraiosis. Methods   Ninety patients with LA were subjected to  cerebral MRI, neuropsychological and TCD examinations. On the basis of  neuropsychological scoring these patients were divided into three groups: without cognitive dysfunction, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Pulsatility index (PI) and mean blood flow velocity (Vm) of middle cerebral artery (MCA) were studied using variance analysis and correlation analysis. Results    PI Differences PI amongthe three groups were significant (P＜0.05)，and there was a positive correlation between PI and cognitive function level (r=0.688，P<0.01). By contrast, Vm differences among the three groups were not significant (P＞0.05). Conclusion   The level of cognitive function in LA patients and their PI are related, and the greater the PI, the more severe the cognitive impairment. On the other hand, the level of cognitive function in LA patientswas not correlated with the Vm values.

Key words:  Leukoaraiosis; Cognitive function; Transcranial Doppler; Mean flow velocity; Pulsatility index