Dyscirculatory Angiopathy of Alzheimer's Type

Ivan V Maksimovich

doi:10.4236/jbbs.2011.12008

Abstract

Purpose: We assess the significance of dyscirculatory angiopathy of Alzheimer’s type (DAAT) in identify- ing the predisposition to the development and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) different stages. Meth- ods: 108 patients took part in the research:1) 49 aged 34-79 suffering from AD or running an increased risk of its development (those not diagnosed with AD but having growing memory disorders without any mani- festations of dementia or specific cognitive impairments, and having 2 or more immediate relatives with AD) - Test Group; 2) 59 aged 28-78 suffering from different types of brain lesions accompanied by dementia but not suffering from AD or corresponding to their age norm - Control Group. All the patients underwent MRI, CT with subsequent calculation of the temporal lobes atrophy degree, brain scintigraphy (SG), rheoencepha- lography (REG), and MUGA. Results: Characteristic features of patients with an increased risk of AD as well as at its various stages are: 1) Temporal lobes and hippocampus atrophy ranging from 4% among those with an increased risk of AD to 62% among those at its advanced stages; 2) DAAT manifestations: reduction of the capillary bed in the temporal and frontoparietal regions with the development of multiple arterioven- ous shunts of the same localization and correspondent early venous discharge accompanied by venous stasis on the border of the frontal and parietal region; 3) DAAT phenomena equally develop both among those with an increased risk of developing AD and those at various AD stages. Similar changes are not observed among Control Group patients with other brain lesions, regardless of the severity of dementia, as well as among practically healthy people of the corresponding age group. Conclusion: Timely identification of the above- mentioned changes can reveal a predisposition to AD development long before its initial manifestations, and it allows differentiating AD from other diseases attended by dementia. In both cases, timely diagnosis allows beginning timely treatment and thus achieving more stable results.

Highlights

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is becoming more widespread each year
108 patients took part in the research:1) 49 aged 34-79 suffering from AD or running an increased risk of its development - Test Group; 2) 59 aged 28-78 suffering from different types of brain lesions accompanied by dementia but not suffering from AD or corresponding to their age norm - Control Group
Characteristic features of patients with an increased risk of AD as well as at its various stages are: 1) Temporal lobes and hippocampus atrophy ranging from 4% among those with an increased risk of AD to 62% among those at its advanced stages; 2) DAAT manifestations: reduction of the capillary bed in the temporal and frontoparietal regions with the development of multiple arteriovenous shunts of the same localization and correspondent early venous discharge accompanied by venous stasis on the border of the frontal and parietal region; 3) DAAT phenomena develop both among those with an increased risk of developing AD and those at various AD stages

Summary

Introduction

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, in 2007, 5.1 million cases were registered only in the United States [1]. In 2009, the number of cases increased to 5.3 million [2], and in 2050 it will approximately increase to 13.5 million [3]. One of the important issues in solving this problem is early diagnosis of the disease and timely visualization of changes and processes in the brain during disease development [5]. Another issue of no less importance is the differentiation of AD from other diseases that are characterized by the development of dementia [6,7,8]

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Conclusion