HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wu, S. Articles by Osborn, A. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wu, S. Articles by Osborn, A. G.

Cognitive correlates of diffuse cerebral atrophy determined by computed tomography

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington (Dr. Wu), the Salt Lake City Veterans Administration Hospital and Department of Neurology, University of Utah Medical Center (Dr. Schenkenberg), and the Department of Radiology, University of Utah Medical Center (Drs. Wing and Osborn). Salt Lake City, UT.

The relationship between severity of diffuse cerebral atrophy determined by computed tomography (CT) and severity of cognitive impairment was examined in 55 men, 50 to 77 years old. Partial correlations, controlling for the effects of age and education, indicated that increased cerebral atrophy was associated with decline in orientation, recent memory, and general level of intellectual functioning. Correlations between degree of atrophy and decline in immediate and remote memory were not significant. Despite significant associations between cerebral atrophy and some aspects of intellectual functioning, considerable variance in performance on cognitive tasks was not explained by cerebral atrophy. Therefore, the degree of diffuse cortical and central atrophy observed on CT scan did not closely predict the degree of cognitive dysfunction, nor did the observation of cerebral atrophy necessarily indicate the presence of dementia.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Wu, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.

Accepted for publication December 1, 1980

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Aharon-Peretz, J. L. Cummings, and M. A. Hill Vascular Dementia and Dementia of the Alzheimer Type: Cognition, Ventricular Size, and Leuko-Araiosis Arch Neurol, July 1, 1988; 45(7): 719 - 721. [Abstract] [PDF]