Laterality of Attentional Networks in Patients With Cerebral Small Vessel Disease.

Shanshan Cao,Jun Zhang,Qiang Wei,Wen Pan,Jingye Wang,Zhiqi Wang,Panpan Hu,Kai Wang,Xiuli Shi,Yanghua Tian

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2020.00021

Abstract

Introduction: Problems with attention are common in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). The normal human brain exhibits functional and structural asymmetry. However, it is unknown whether there is lateralization of attention in patients with CSVD.Objective: This study aims to investigate attention separately in both cerebral hemispheres in patients with CSVD using the computer-based Lateralized Attention Network Test—Revised (LANT-R).Methods: The total number of subjects included was 58, which includes the CSVD (N = 35) and healthy control (HC, N = 23) groups. All subjects completed the LANT-R paradigm and neuropsychological background tests.Results: The results indicate that there is an left hemisphere (LH) lateralization in orienting network efficiency in the HC group. However, this lateralization was not apparent in the CSVD group. Furthermore, the difference between groups was significant (interaction P = 0.02). In addition, the scores of subjects in the CSVD group are lower in several cognitive domains, including attention function, memory function, information processing speed, and executive function, compared with the controls.Conclusion: Patients with CSVD change in the lateralization of attention compared with the normal elderly. The decrease in attention in patients with CSVD might be caused by the reduced ability of selecting useful information in the LH.

Highlights

Problems with attention are common in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD)
We found no difference between hemispheres in either the CSVD group (LH vs. right hemisphere (RH), 62.33 ± 63.24 vs. 43.64 ± 55.03, t = 1.15, P = 0.26, Cohen’s d = 0.20) or the healthy control (HC) group (LH vs. RH, 53.34 ± 52.49 vs. 64.17 ± 41.66, t = −0.78, P = 0.44, Cohen’s d = −0.16) in terms of orienting function under invalid cue conditions
Our data suggest that the HC group has an left hemisphere (LH) advantage in orienting, and this does not appear in the CSVD group

Summary

Introduction

Problems with attention are common in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). The normal human brain exhibits functional and structural asymmetry. It is unknown whether there is lateralization of attention in patients with CSVD. Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) refers to the clinical, cognitive, imaging, and pathological manifestations of cerebrovascular syndrome caused by small vessel arteries, arterioles, capillary, and venule change (Chen et al, 2019). Attention Lateralizetion Changes in CSVD range of symptoms, which are as follows: typical stroke symptoms, varying degrees of cognitive impairment from mild impairment to dementia (Meissner, 2016). About 20–30% of patients experience ischemic stroke caused by CSVD (Rockwood et al, 2000). With the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, increasing numbers of patients with CSVD have been clinically diagnosed, and the prevalence of CSVD is about 6 to 10 times that of large blood vessel stroke (Longstreth et al, 2002; Black, 2011)

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion