Cerebral microbleeds in cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases with cognitive impairment

Abstract

To study a role of cerebral microbleeds (CMB) in the diagnosis of main cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases with cognitive impairment. CMB were studied in 120 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and vascular dementia using 1.5T MRI in T2 * gradient echo. An impact of CMB on cognitive functions and the relationship with signs of vascular and neurodegenerative lesions of the brain were studied as well. The neuropsychological battery included Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA), Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE-R), Clock Drawing Test, fluency test and the visual memory test (SCT). CMB were identified in more than one third of patients with neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular disease. With regard to disease, they were detected preferably in cortical or subcortical areas, respectively. This result can be used in the differential diagnosis. Single subcortical CMB accompanied by a smaller number of lacunae and less severe leukoaraiosis were identified in 48% of patients with DLB. In AD with additional features of DLB and cerebrovascular disease, CMB were more common (60%) that was a predictor of mixed pathology. Leukoaraiosis, if accompanied by CMB, has a great clinical significance in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases with cognitive impairment. CMB is a marker of severe cognitive impairment and predictor of mixed pathology in the cortical-subcortical localization of CMB and corresponding neuropsychological profile.