Cognitive Status in Patients with Chronic Cerebral Ischemia

The aim of our study was to examine the cognitive functions in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia (stages I-II of discirculatory encephalopathy) of various origins. Systematization of the patients was performed according to EV Schmidt’s classification of the vascular lesions of the brain. All the subjects were categorized into two groups.Group 1consisted of 115 patients (42 men and 73 women) with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI) that had developed, mainly, against the background of arterial hypertension (AH). Group 2 consisted of 122 patients (33 men and 89 women) with CCI, which developed, mainly, against the backdrop of atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels. The mean age was 54.2±0.7 years in Group 1and 56.8±0.8 years Group 2, respectively. Control group included 30 healthy subjects (mean age: 52.2±0.9 years) without any objective manifestations of CCI. The stage of cognitive deficit was determined by employing the MMSE test and the Bourdon test.The “Schulte Tables” technique was used for estimating the stability of attention and rate of sensorimotor reactions. Luria’s Memory Ten-Word Retrieval Test (LMTWRT) was applied for estimating attention and memory.The present study indicates that the cognitive deficits detected in patients with CIC were characterized by the greatest severity against the background of AH. AH predominantly damages the subcortical structures, resulting in subcortical angioencephalopathy, which ultimately leads to a deterioration of the intellectual-mental processes.