Galluzzi Samantha, Lanni Cristina, Pantoni Leonardo, Filippi Massimo, Frisoni Giovanni B
LENITEM-Laboratory of Epidemiology Neuroimaging & Telemedicine, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
J Neurol Sci. 2008 Oct 15;273(1-2):3-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2008.06.023. Epub 2008 Jul 31.
The effect of white matter lesions (WMLs) on the brain of elderly individuals is unclear. Most debate has focused on the clinical effect of WMLs on cognitive impairment. Large cross-sectional and longitudinal clinic- and population-based studies suggest that the effect of WMLs on global cognitive performance is relatively small, only individuals with the most severe degrees of WMLs having clinically relevant effects. Here, we review recent data suggesting that WMLs might affect brain function through impairment of brain plasticity and reserve. The clinical effect consists in inability of the brain to respond to interventions such as psychotropic drug medications or rehabilitative interventions.
脑白质病变（WMLs）对老年人脑部的影响尚不清楚。大多数争论都集中在WMLs对认知障碍的临床影响上。大型横断面和纵向的临床及人群研究表明，WMLs对整体认知功能的影响相对较小，只有WMLs程度最严重的个体才会产生具有临床意义的影响。在此，我们回顾近期数据，这些数据表明WMLs可能通过损害脑可塑性和储备来影响脑功能。临床影响表现为大脑无法对诸如精神药物治疗或康复干预等措施做出反应。
