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Subcortical vascular dementia: integrating neuropsychological and neuroradiologic data
Price CC, Jefferson AL, Merino JG, Heilman KM, Libon DJ.. Neurology, 2005-08-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Research criteria for subcortical vascular dementia are based on radiologic evidence of vascular pathology and greater impairment on tests of executive control than memory. The relationship(s) between neuroradiological evidence of subcortical vascular disease and neuropsychological impairments has not been specified. Objective To define these research criteria, the authors rated the severity of MRI white matter abnormalities (WMAs) and neuropsychological data from patients with dementia. Methods Sixty-nine outpatients who met the criteria for dementia were studied with neuropsychological tests that assessed executive (mental) control, declarative memory, visuoconstruction (clock drawing), and language (semantic category fluency). MRI-WMAs were rated using a leukoaraiosis (LA) scale (range 0 to 40). Results First, regression analyses demonstrated that neuropsychological measures accounted for 60.7% of the variance in WMA severity (47.3% of this variance attributable to executive/visuoconstructive test performance, 13.4% attributable to memory/language test performance). Second, patients were grouped according to the severity of WMAs (i.e., low, moderate, and severe white matter groups). Only patients with mild WMA (mean LA = 3.61 +/- 2.63, approximately 2.4 to 15.6% of the subcortical white matter) presented with greater impairment on memory/language tests vs executive control/visuoconstructive tests, a neuropsychological profile typically associated with Alzheimer disease. Patients with moderate WMA (mean LA = 12.76 +/- 2.49, approximately 25.6 to 38.1% of the subcortical white matter) presented with equal impairment on executive/visuoconstructional vs memory/language tests. Patients with severe WMA (mean LA = 21.76 +/- 2.97, approximately 46.9 to 62.4% of the subcortical white matter) displayed a profile of greater executive/visuoconstructional impairment relative to memory/language disabilities. Conclusion A profile of equal impairment on tests of executive control and memory along with radiologic evidence involving about one-fourth of the cerebral white matter as measured by the Leukoaraiosis Scale may be sufficient for a diagnosis of subcortical vascular dementia.
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APA 7th
Price, C. C., Jefferson, A. L., Merino, J. G., Heilman, K. M., & Libon, D. J. (2005). Subcortical vascular dementia: integrating neuropsychological and neuroradiologic data. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000168877.06011.15
Vancouver
Price CC, Jefferson AL, Merino JG, Heilman KM, Libon DJ. Subcortical vascular dementia: integrating neuropsychological and neuroradiologic data. Neurology. 2005. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000168877.06011.15. PMID: 16087901.
BibTeX
@article{price2005-16087901,
author = {Price, C. C. and Jefferson, A. L. and Merino, J. G. and Heilman, K. M. and Libon, D. J.},
title = {{Subcortical vascular dementia: integrating neuropsychological and neuroradiologic data}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000168877.06011.15},
pmid = {16087901},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000168877.06011.15}
}
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Key findings
- Results First, regression analyses demonstrated that neuropsychological measures accounted for 60.7% of the variance in WMA severity (47.3% of this variance attributable to executive/visuoconstructive test performance, 13.4% attributable to memory/language test performance).
- Only patients with mild WMA (mean LA = 3.61 +/- 2.63, approximately 2.4 to 15.6% of the subcortical white matter) presented with greater impairment on memory/language tests vs executive control/visuoconstructive tests, a neuropsychological profile typically associated with Alzheimer disease.
Why it matters
Neuropsychological measures accounted for 60.7% of the variance in white matter abnormality severity, with executive and visuoconstructive test performance contributing most. Only patients with mild white matter abnormalities showed greater impairment on memory and language tests than on executive control and visuoconstructive tests.
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Study details
- Effect sizeor 60.7; 47.3%; 13.4%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2005 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 191 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.3 citations a year over 23 year(s) since 2005 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 11 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author David J. Libon: h-index 57 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Florida: institution h-index 1,303 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 16087901) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000168877.06011.15
- PubMed: 16087901
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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