Click here to return to index . Please read our disclaimer MRI studies of older persons with disequilibrium and gait disturbances of unknown cause often show frontal atrophy, and subcortical white matter T2 hyperintense foci.
Periventricular location seems to cause more serious consequences.
Individuals with PVM lesions perform nearly 1 SD below average on tasks involving psychomotor speed. PVM relate to vascular disease and vascular risk factors. Practically, this is a statistical association. PVM cannot be clearly shown to cause any particular symptom complex. In other words, one can never be entirely certain that the patients gait disorder, or other neurological symptoms is caused by PWM vs. another cause.