From: unk...@googlegroups.com   
      
   Possible cause of common dementia found, opening avenues for treatment   
   Date:   
   October 30, 2014   
   Source:   
   University Health Network (UHN)   
      
   Researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre have potentially discovered a   
   major cause of dementia. In this type of dementia, there is damage to the   
   white matter (nerve fibres) of the brain apparent on computerized tomography   
   (CT) and magnetic    
   resonance imaging (MRI) scans of older individuals.   
   Approximately 50 per cent of older individuals have evident white matter   
   damage on their medical imaging scans. For most patients, these changes are   
   harmless but when this damage is severe, it can cause impairment.   
      
   Previous studies have already established that the more white matter disease   
   there is in the brain, the more likely patients are to have symptoms of   
   dementia such as cognitive impairment or changes in behaviour. What was not   
   understood is why this white    
   matter disease develops -- the traditional assumption was that it might be the   
   result of the natural aging process.   
      
   Krembil researchers hypothesized that the white matter disease (also called   
   leukoaraiosis) may actually be the result of many tiny unnoticed strokes   
   accumulating over time -- a finding that points to a potentially treatable   
   form of dementia. The research    
   was published today in the journal Annals of Neurology.   
   The researchers conducted an intensive study to observe the development of   
   this white matter disease over a short period of time, rather than on an   
   annual basis -- the interval at which previous studies have performed repeat   
   brain imaging. The study    
   involved 5 patients with white matter disease undergoing detailed MRI scanning   
   of their brains every week for 16 consecutive weeks.   
      
   The weekly MRI scans revealed new tiny spots arising in the brain's white   
   matter that were, based on their MRI appearance, characteristic of small new   
   strokes (cerebral infarcts). The lesions had no symptoms but, with time, came   
   to resemble the existing    
   white matter disease in the subjects' brains. In the study's random sampling,   
   the majority of subjects had this phenomenon: Tiny strokes occurring without   
   symptoms, and developing into the kind of white matter disease that causes   
   dementia   
      
   "We were surprised by the study findings" said Dr. Daniel Mandell,   
   Neuroradiologist, Joint Department of Medical Imaging, Toronto Western   
   Hospital and the principal investigator of the study. "The findings suggest   
   that the tiny, silent strokes are likely    
   much more common than physicians previously appreciated, and these strokes are   
   likely a cause of the age-related white matter disease that can lead to   
   dementia."   
      
   Unlike degenerative types of dementia where there are no treatments, this   
   type, based on vascular disease, is more treatable as it is caused by tiny   
   episodes affecting the blood vessels in the brain over time. It may be   
   possible to prevent or stop this    
   process.   
      
   "We don't yet know whether these small strokes are responsible only some or   
   most of the white matter disease seen in older patients," said Dr. Frank   
   Silver, Neurologist and Medical Director, Stroke Program, Krembil Neuroscience   
   Centre and a co-author of    
   the study. "But in those where it is the cause, the detection of white matter   
   disease on brain imaging should trigger physicians to treat patients   
   aggressively when managing stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure,   
   diabetes, high cholesterol,    
   cigarette smoking and lack of exercise not only to prevent further strokes,   
   but also to reduce the development of cognitive impairment over time."   
      
   Although more research is needed to further investigate these findings with a   
   larger sample size, if most white matter disease is found to be caused by   
   these tiny strokes, it could eventually lead to interventions to delay its   
   progression in the brain.   
      
   Story Source:   
   The above story is based on materials provided by University Health Network   
   (UHN). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.   
      
   Journal Reference:   
   John Conklin, Frank L. Silver, David J. Mikulis, Daniel M. Mandell. Are acute   
   infarcts the cause of leukoaraiosis? Brain mapping for 16 consecutive weeks.   
   Annals of Neurology, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/ana.24285   
      
   MLA APA Chicago   
   University Health Network (UHN). "Possible cause of common dementia found,   
   opening avenues for treatment." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 October 2014.   
       
   .   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)