What does white matter changes in the brain mean?
White matter disease is an umbrella term for damage to your brain’s white matter caused by reduced blood flow to the tissue. It can cause issues with memory, balance and mobility. People who have risk factors for cardiovascular disease also have a greater risk of developing white matter disease.
What does white matter changes on brain MRI mean?
White matter disease is commonly detected on brain MRI of aging individuals as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), or ‘leukoaraiosis.” Over the years it has become increasingly clear that the presence and extent of WMH is a radiographic marker of small cerebral vessel disease and an important predictor of the life- …
What does white matter mean on an MRI?
White matter lesions are among the most common incidental findings—which means the lesions have no clinical significance—on brain scans of people of any age. They may also reflect a mixture of inflammation, swelling, and damage to the myelin.
Is white matter on brain serious?
Originally, white matter disease was considered a normal, age-related change. But over the last decade, medical experts have come to understand that the presence of large areas of disease in the white matter of the brain are associated with cognitive decline and dementia in patients.
What diseases cause white matter on the brain?
White matter disease may develop with conditions associated with aging, such as stroke, but it can also affect young people due to conditions such as cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy and multiple sclerosis (MS).
What are symptoms of white matter disease?
Symptoms of white matter disease may include:
- issues with balance.
- walking slow.
- more frequent falls.
- unable to do more than one thing at a time, like talking while walking.
- depression.
- unusual mood changes.
Does white matter disease cause fatigue?
Brain white matter (WM), and more specifically neuronal connectivity, is thought to perform a crucial role in the central processing of fatigue [1]. In diseases of the WM, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), persisting fatigue is a common disabling complication [2].
Should I worry about white matter hyperintensities?
Conclusion White matter hyperintensities predict an increased risk of stroke, dementia, and death. Therefore white matter hyperintensities indicate an increased risk of cerebrovascular events when identified as part of diagnostic investigations, and support their use as an intermediate marker in a research setting.
What doctor treats white matter disease?
A radiologist, particularly a neuroradiologist, has expertise in what the brain should look like on an MRI. When evaluating for white matter disease, the radiologist will be looking for abnormal signal in the brain tissue.
Can you live a normal life with white matter disease?
It is not possible to stop disease progression, and it is typically fatal within 6 months to 4 years of symptom onset. People with the juvenile form of metachromatic leukodystrophy, which develops between the age of 4 and adolescence, may live for many years after diagnosis.
How common is white matter in brain?
In the general population the prevalence of white matter hyperintensities ranges from 11-21% in adults aged around 64 to 94% at age 82. Pathological findings in regions of white matter hyperintensity include myelin pallor, tissue rarefaction associated with loss of myelin and axons, and mild gliosis.
Can white matter changes be reversed?
Treatments: While there is no known cure for white matter disease, treatments can help to manage the symptoms. Controlling the risk factors associated with heart disease can help decrease the progression of the disease.