Study Ties Mini-Strokes to Memory Loss
August 12th 2009 03:46
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People with mini-stroke damage were nearly twice as likely to have mild cognitive impairment that included memory loss, whereas those with stroke damage were more likely to have mild cognitive impairment that did not include memory loss, according to the report in the Aug. 11 issue of Neurology.
"The most interesting finding in this study was that white matter hyperintensities, or mini-strokes, predicted memory problems, while strokes predicted non-memory problems," study author Dr. Jose Luchsinger, of Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology.
"Traditionally, mini-strokes and strokes are thought to have a common origin and to more strongly predict non-memory cognitive problems," Luchsinger said. "There are an increasing number of studies challenging the idea that all white matter hyperintensities are similar to strokes."
The finding, he said, "could challenge traditional views that white matter hyperintensities are milder versions of stroke that are produced only by conditions such as high blood pressure."
Learning more about mini-strokes and being able to identify which are related to stroke and which are related to other conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, could help find ways to prevent memory loss and other types of cognitive impairment, Luchsinger said.
From: USnews
link to the article on mini strokes and memory loss
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