No abstract

This research investigated whether subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and ischaemic vascular dementia (IVD) associated with periventricular and deep white matter alterations can be dissociated on tests of declarative and procedural memory, as well as on MRI indices of white matter alterations and the size of the hippocampal formation. The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and the Pursuit Rotor Learning Tests (PRLT) were used to measure declarative and procedural memory, respectively. Subjects with IVD obtained a higher score on the CVLT recognition discriminability index; however, on the PRLT total time on target, carry-over between trial blocks, and slope calculated for all test trials was low. Subjects with AD exhibited the opposite profile. MRI studies indicated that subjects with IVD had considerably greater white matter alterations, but larger hippocampal formations than subjects with AD. Higher scores on the CVLT recognition discriminability index were correlated with increased size of the body of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus. By contrast, as the severity of white matter alterations increased the slope on the PRLT declined. In sum, subjects with AD and IVD can be dissociated on the basis of differing patterns of impairment on tests of declarative and procedural memory, and MRI indices of white matter alteration and the integrity of the hippocampal formation.

The authors investigated whether MMSE indices designed to measure temporal and physical orientation, declarative memory, language, working memory, and motor/constructional function could differentiate patients with different dementia diagnoses: Alzheimer's disease (AD), ischemic vascular dementia (IVD), or Parkinson's disease (PD). MMSE summary scores did not differ (AD, 21.4; IVD, 21.1; PD, 22.3). The AD group scored lower than IVD or PD on temporal orientation and declarative memory, IVD lower than AD on motor/ constructional and working memory. The IVD and PD groups made more errors in writing a sentence and copying intersecting pentagons. Significant correlations were found between the orientation indices and neuropsychological tests of naming and memory, and between the working memory and motor/constructional indices and tests of executive control. Such analyses of MMSE performance could assist in formulating referral questions for cognitive assessment and in tracking the course of dementing illnesses.

Intracerebral hematomas producing chronic neurological disability are reported rarely. Two cases of chronic intracerebral hematoma are described. Each case was associated with a thick, fibrous capsule found histologically to arise from an occult vascular malformation. When such encapsulation is discovered surgically, a vascular anomaly must be suspected.

We studied the relative frequency of cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) by CT. Six of 9 men with CSP were boxers or had head trauma. We conclude that some cases of CSP are not congenital variants, but rather may serve as an indicator of prior head trauma, especially in boxers. In such instances, CSP may be a CT sign of traumatic encephalopathy.