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Background and Purpose-Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a recognized risk factor for stroke, but it is unclear whether MetS is also related to subclinical ischemic lesions. We examined the association of MetS with the prevalence of silent brain infarction, periventricular hyperintensity, and subcortical white matter lesions in healthy adults. Methods-We conducted a cross-sectional study in 1151 Japanese healthy subjects. Three types of silent lesions were assessed by MRI scans. MetS was diagnosed using the criteria by the National Cholesterol Education Adult Treatment Panel III. Results-After adjusting for age and other factors, MetS was significantly associated with silent brain infarction, periventricular hyperintensity and subcortical white matter lesions. Among the MetS components, elevated blood pressure was commonly associated with all types of lesions. Dyslipidemia and elevated fasting glucose levels were associated with subcortical white matter lesions and periventricular hyperintensities, respectively. Positive trends were observed between the number of MetS components and prevalence of silent lesions. Conclusions-MetS

Background and Purpose-Cerebral microbleeds (MBs) are frequently detected in patients with stroke, especially those who experience intracerebral hemorrhage. However, the clinical significance of MBs in subjects without cerebrovascular disease is still unclear. We performed a prospective study to determine whether the presence of MBs provides useful prognostic information in healthy elderly individuals. Methods-We tracked 2102 subjects (mean age, 62.1 years) over a mean interval of 3.6 years after they voluntarily participated in the brain checkup system at the Shimane Institute of Health Science. An initial assessment was performed to document the presence of MBs and silent ischemic brain lesions and to map the location of the MBs. During the follow-up period, we obtained information about stroke events that occurred in each subject. Results-MBs were detected in 93 of the 2102 subjects (4.4%). Strokes occurred in 44 subjects (2.1%) during the follow-up period. They were significantly more common among subjects with MBs. Age and hypertension were independent risk factors for MBs. The presence of MBs was more strongly associated with a deep brain hemorrhage (hazard ratio, 50.2; 95% CI, 16.7 to 150.9) than ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 4.48; 95% CI, 2.20 to 12.2). All hemorrhagic strokes occurred in deep brain regions, and they were associated with MBs located in the deep brain region. Conclusions-This

The FAB test can provide useful information for differentiating AD and VD at the bedside.

BackgroundWe have developed a new screening test for dementia that runs on an iPad and can be used for mass screening, known as the Cognitive Assessment for Dementia, iPad version (CADi). The CADi consists of items involving immediate recognition memory for three words, semantic memory, categorization of six objects, subtraction, backward repetition of digits, cube rotation, pyramid rotation, trail making A, trail making B, and delayed recognition memory for three words. The present study examined the reliability and validity of the CADi.MethodsCADi evaluations were conducted for patients with dementia, healthy subjects selected from a brain checkup system, and community-dwelling elderly people participating in health checkups.ResultsCADi scores were lower for dementia patients than for healthy elderly individuals and correlated significantly with Mini-Mental State Examination scores. Cronbach’s alpha values for the CADi were acceptable (over 0.7), and test–retest reliability was confirmed via a significant correlation between scores separated by a one-year interval.ConclusionThese results suggest that the CADi is a useful tool for mass screening of dementia in Japanese populations.