Abstract

Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Disease (SIVD) is underdiagnosed. This review investigates the relationship among SIVD severity, cognitive status and neuroimaging markers.

Methods:

Cohort, cross-sectional and case control studies were searched on ISI, Medline, Scielo, PsychoInfo and LILACS databases published between 1995 and 2006.

Results:

The most impaired cognitive domains were executive, attentional and memory retrieval mechanisms. These cognitive features were frequently associated to White Matter Lesions (WML).

Conclusions:

WML is an independent factor in cognitive decline. However, the threshold for this impact is not yet clearly established.

Key words:
neuropsychology; vascular dementia; cerebrovascular disorders; cognition