Introduction:

In the course of aging, the existence of a complex pattern of behavioral, cognitive and cerebral structural changes is known, sometimes related to neurological and psychiatric diseases.

Objective:

To determine the possible causal relationship of cerebral atrophy with the onset of cognitive impairment in the course of normal aging.

Methods:

A retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive and observational study was carried out. The study universe consisted of all patients of both sexes aged 35-74 years, with previous indications for cranial computed tomography and whose results were reported with signs of cerebral atrophy, which numbered 733.

Results:

The predominant age group was 45-54 years old (35.3%), as well as female patients (66.3%). The educational level of 27.7% of the patients was technical high school and 36.2% were housewife patients. A total of 99.7% were right-handed. A total of 368 volunteers showed cognitive impairment and 365 subjects showed no decline in the tested functions. The functions of attention and calculation, as well as short-term verbal retention, were the most affected, followed by spatial orientation and speech retention memory.

Conclusions:

No significant causal relationship was established between the radiological diagnosis of cerebral atrophy and the presence of cognitive impairment.

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