Clinical characteristics of memory disorder in acute cerebrovascular disease

doi:10.3321/j.issn:1673-8225.2004.13.005

Abstract：BACKGROUND: Acute cerebrovascular disease (ACVD) frequently induces memory dysfunction.However, the relationships of clinical features of memory disorder with the subtypes and focal site of ACVD are unclear.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of memory disorder after ACVD.DESIGN: Retrospective and controlled investigation was conducted based on the diagnosis.SETTING and PARTICIPANTS: The study was completed in the Department of Psychological Examination, Daping Hospital.From January 1997 to June 2000, 57 hospitalized patients with ACVD in the Department of Neurology of Daping Hospital, 38 males and 19 females, aged from 37 to 91 (average 60 years old), were enrolled.Their average education time was 10 years.METHODS: Immediate, short- and long-term memory as well as memory quotient(MQ) were tested with Wechsler memory scale(WMS) by the first author.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The scale scores of immediate, short- andlong-term memory subtests and MQ of WMS.RESULTS: The scores of immediate memory, short- and long-term memory and MQ in each case group were significantly lower than those of the controls.Differences of scale scores between cerebral haemorrhage(CH) and cerebral ischemia, among left, right and both brain hemisphere, among single and multiple lacunar infarction and single non-lacunar infarction had no significance.But memory disorder of single non-lacunar infarction, CH, right cerebral hemisphere and both brain hemispheres were mainly moderate or severe.CONCLUSIONS: Memory damage induced by ACVD is primarily on shortand long-term memory but less on immediate memory.Focal site has no marked effect on the degree of memory defects.The number and size of ischemic ACVD have no marked effects on the degree of memory impairment,too.Single non-lacunar infarction has more severe memory damage.