The authors examined the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and
the presence of of MR deep white matter lesions (DWMLs) in 28 probable
Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with mild to moderate dementia. The
difference in frequency of psychiatric symptoms between patients with and
without DWMLs was not statistically significant. However, MR global scores
of severity correlated with the presence of ideational disturbances (such
as low self-esteem and suicidal ideation). Analysis of specific cerebral
regions indicated that the highest correlation occurred in the frontal
white matter. Thus, DWMLs are correlated with specific symptoms of
depression in AD. Whether DWMLs are etiologically related to these symptoms
remains to be determined.Abstract Teaser