Leukoaraiosis

Leukoaraiosis is a term for changes in the cerebral white matter that can be detected with high frequency by CT and MRI in aged individuals. It is a descriptive term for rarefaction of the white matter. Underlying vascular mechanisms are suspected. It is inconsistently associated with cognitive impairment, motor dysfunction, and gait disturbances. It may indicate a poorer prognosis and increased risk of stroke and brain hemorraghe. It is also called Multi-infarct dementia.

References

*See [http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/2/543]
*Pantoni L, Garcia JH. The significance of cerebral white matter abnormalities 100 years after Binswanger's report: a review. Stroke. 1995;26:1293–1301
*New Clinical Relevance of Leukoaraiosis : For the European Task Force on Age-Related White Matter Changes1; Leonardo Pantoni, MD; Domenico Inzitari, MD Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy