White matter changes are detected with high frequency by neuroimaging techniques in aged
subjects with cerebrovascular risk factors or diseases and in cognitively impaired patients.
Their direct role in causing cognitive deterioration has not been established, although their
frequency is higher in demented subjects than in normal controls, and they are associated
with specific cognitive deficits, particularly those related to impairment of frontal lobe
functions. The aim of this paper is to critically review the existing knowledge about the role of …