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Cognitive Reduction in Presenile Dementia Related to Regional Abnormalities of the Cerebral Blood Flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Bo Hagberg  and
David H. Ingvar
Bo Hagberg
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund 5, Sweden
David H. Ingvar
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund 5, Sweden
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Summary

Fifty-five patients with presenile dementia were examined. There were 28 women and 27 men, and the mean age was 59 and 56 years respectively at the time of the study. A large series of psychometric tests was used, and with the aid of age-matched non-demented controls five significantly different cognitive reduction groups could be identified. In the demented patients the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was determined with an eight-detector or 32-detector equipment. There was a rough proportionality between the cognitive reduction and a decrease of the cerebral blood flow (especially the flow in the grey matter). In addition, certain regional flow abnormalities correlated with specific cognitive functions in a manner resembling the cognitive defects found in focal brain lesions in the same region. Thus, patients who showed only memory disturbances demonstrated a focal flow reduction in the temporal region. More severely affected patients, with reduction of verbal abilities and signs of agnosia, showed very low flows in occipitotemporo-parietal parts of the hemisphere. The results offer a principal confirmation of the dynamic field theory concerning the functional organization of the cerebral cortex (Luria, 1966).

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 128 , Issue 3 , March 1976 , pp. 209 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1976 

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