Resumen

GOMEZ VIERA, Nelson et al. Caracterización clínica e imagenológica de la demencia vascular: Estudio preliminar. Rev cubana med [online]. 1997, vol.36, n.3, pp.154-160. ISSN 0034-7523.

A descriptive prospective study was carried out in 41 patients presenting with vascular dementia from Havana Vieja municipality, Havana City, in order to know some of the clinical and imaging characteristics of this disease. The main risk factors observed were the history of cerebrovascular disease and arterial hypertension. Depression, sleeping disorders and focal and pseudobulbar neurologic signs were the most frequent clinical findings. Folstein neuropsychologic test evidenced an important disorder of atention, calculation, the evocation memory and orientation. According to this test, 29 % of the patients had a severe dementia and nearly 50 % showed a severe handicap. The most frequent imaging findings observed in the computadorized axial tomography of the cranium were cerebral atrophy, and single or multiple infarctions. Multiple cerebral infarctions, the lacunar status, subcortical encephalopathy of Binswanger, and single infarction located in cerebral areas related to cognition were considered as possible physiopathological mechanisms associated with the disease.

Palabras clave : DEMENTIA, VASCULAR [radiography]; TOMOGRAPHY, X-RAY COMPUTED; CEREBROVASCULAR DISORDER; SMOKING; HYPERTENSION; HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA; MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA.