Laterality Of Attentional Networks In Patients With Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Introduction:There is a decline in multiple cognitive functions in patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Complaints about attention function are common among patients with CSVD.Many cognitive functions have specific hemispherical lateralization on both sides of the two cerebral hemispheres.However,it is unknown whether there is a lateralization of attention function in patients with CSVD.If the attention function of CSVD patient was impaired,it was also undetermined whether this impairment represents a common flaw,or is limited to a specific network.Objective:This study aims to investigate bilateral cerebral hemisphere attentional abilities of CSVD patients using the Lateralized Attention Network Test(LANT).` Methods:The number of total participants is 58 which includes CSVD group(N = 35)and healthy controls group(N = 23).All participants complete the LANT program and neuropsychological background test including Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale(MoCA),Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7),Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9),Auditory Verbal Learning Test(AVLT),Verbal Fluency Test(VFT),Digital Span(DS),Stroop's Color Word Test(SCWT)and Color Trails Test(CTT).It could be tested the three independent attention networks(alerting,orienting and executive control networks)in the two cerebral hemispheres independently,by using the LANT computer program.Meanwhile,the neuropsychological background test is carried out to test cognitive functions consisting of overall cognitive function,memory function,attention function,executive function and so on.Results:It is indicated that there is difference in orienting network efficiency of HC group between left hemisphere(LH)and right hemisphere(RH).The difference is mainly characterized as a lateralization of LH.However,the lateralization of LH does not exist in CSVD group.Furthermore,after analys the difference between groups is significant(interaction P = 0.02).In addition,the scores of the CSVD group are lower in several cognitive domains,including attention function,memory function,information processing speed,and executive function.Conclusion:There exists a left hemisphere lateralization of orienting function in normal elderly people,while the lateralization disappears in patients with CSVD.The declined attention function of CSVD patients might be caused by the reduced ability of selecting useful information in LH.