Cognitive Impairment, Homocysteine, And Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Polymorphisms In Patients With Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Disease

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of cognitive impairment and the level of the serum homocysteine(Hcy) in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease(SIVD).Methods:Sixty-five SIVD and 30 cognitively normal older individuals were assessed using multiple neuropsychological tests.The concentration of the serum Hcy was determinated by chemiluminescence's method.Results:Compared with controls,SIVD showed significant increases in the level of the serum Hcy (P＜0.01).The prevalence of smoking and drinking in SIVD were markedly higher than those in controls(P＜0.01,P＜0.05 respectively).There were significant decreases of overall cognitive function in patients with SIVD compared with controls(P＜0.01). Orientation,recall,language,attention,logical memory,and execution function were especially impaired in patients with SIVD(P＜0.05～0.001) Conclusions:The high level of the serum Hcy,smoking,and drinking might play an important role in SIVD. Among the patients with SIVD,there were multiple domains of cognitive impairment, especially in orientation,attention,logical memory,and execution function.MeSH subcortical ischemic vascular disease;homocysteine;cognitive impairment...