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: Cache County; Scheltens Rating Scale; aging; clinical ratings; executive function; white matter hyperintensity.