The clinical importance of white matter hyperintensities on brain magnetic resonance imaging: systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To review the evidence for an association of white matter hyperintensities with risk of stroke, cognitive decline, dementia, and death.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

PubMed from 1966 to 23 November 2009.

Study selection

Prospective longitudinal studies that used magnetic resonance imaging and assessed the impact of white matter hyperintensities on risk of incident stroke, cognitive decline, dementia, and death, and, for the meta-analysis, studies that provided risk estimates for a categorical measure of white matter hyperintensities, assessing the impact of these lesions on risk of stroke, dementia, and death.

Data extraction

Population studied, duration of follow-up, method used to measure white matter hyperintensit

SUBMITTER: Debette S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2910261 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature