Scheltens ratings, clinical white matter hyperintensities and executive functioning in the Cache County Memory Study

Abstract

Objective

Examine the association between neuropsychologically assessed executive function and clinically identifiable white matter burden from magnetic resonance imaging, using a visual rating system (Scheltens Rating System) applied to the Cache County Memory Study (CCMS) archival database.

Method

We used the Scheltens Ratings Scale to quantify white matter lesion burden in the CCMS sample and used this metric as a predictor of executive function. The sample included 60 individuals with dementia and 13 healthy controls.

Results

Higher Scheltens ratings were associated with poorer task performance on an Executive Function composite score of common neuropsychological tests. This association held true for both controls and dementing cases.

Conclusions

The current findings support extensive prior literature demonstrating the association between brain vascular health determined by white matter burden and clinical outcomes based on neuropsychological assessment of cognitive performance.

Keywords:

• Scheltens Rating Scale
• Cache County
• aging
• clinical ratings
• white matter hyperintensity
• executive function

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Family, Home and Social Science College grant from BYU and NIA grant [R01AG11380].