DEMENTIA TYPE-DIFFUSE WHITE MATTER DISEASE

SUMMARY

1. HTN & DM are common causes of dementia due to lacunar infarcts and diffuse white matter changes that are visible on MRI.

FEATURES
2. Early symptoms include mild confusion and impairments in memory, perception, and executive functions.

3. Marked difficulties in judgment and orientation develop later, along with dependence on others for ADLs.

4. Neuropsychiatric symptoms (apathy, anxiety, psychosis, euphoria, depression, aggression) also develop later.

5. Lastly, urinary incontinence and dysarthria with/without other pseudobulbar features (dysphagia, emotional lability) are frequent.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].