TIQ score ≥70 was defined “normal”. Moreover we calculated the difference between Verbal and Performance Intelligence Quotient (VIQ-PIQ). A VIP-PIQ score ≥ than 8 represents an abnormal development of Verbal ability in comparison to Performance ability and a score ≤ than −8 represent an abnormal development of Performance ability in comparison to Verbal ability. selleck inhibitor All patients underwent a TCD evaluation of the main intracranial arteries in order to detect
any increase of TAMM velocities (normal <170 cm/s, altered ≥170 cm/s according to the STOP protocol); TCD was performed by an experienced neurosonographer, in a quiet atmosphere and without pharmacological sedation, using a 2 MHz probe (Viasys Healthcare Sonara). All patients underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by means of a 1.5 T MR scanner (Achieva,
Philips, Best, The Netherlands). The study protocol included axial Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) sequence (repetition time 11,000 ms; echo time 140 ms; inversion time: 2800; echo train length 53; flip angle 90°; field of view 230 mm; matrix 256 × 256; slice thickness 5 mm; interslice gap 0.5 mm; number of averages 2) to disclose ischemic lesions. Regarding the neuropsychological evaluation, 29/35 (82.8%) patients (Group 1) had a normal (≥70) TIQ, while 6/35 (17.2%) patients (Group 2) were defined intellectually impaired (TIQ <69). TCD detected altered velocities in 8/35 (22.8%)
patients: Androgen Receptor antagonist 6 in Group 1 and 2 in Group 2. No significant differences were found in the percentage of altered TAMM velocities between the two groups (Fisher’s exact test: p = 0.42). MRI detected silent ischemic lesions in 14/35 patients (40.0%): 12 in Group 1 and 2 in Group 2. No significant differences were found in silent stroke frequencies (Fisher’s exact test: p = 0.25) between Group 1 and Group 2. VIQ-PIQ was normal in 16/35 (45.7%) patients and altered in 19/35 (54.2%) patients. TCD detected altered TAMM in 5 patients with normal VIQ-PIQ and in 3 patients STK38 with altered VIQ-PIQ. No significant differences were found in the percentage of altered TAMM velocities between these two groups (Fisher’s exact test: p = 0.28). MRI detected silent ischemic lesions in 6 patients with normal VIQ-PIQ and in 8 patients with altered VIQ-PIQ. No significant differences were found in silent stroke frequencies (Fisher’s exact test: p = 0.52) between these two groups. According to our results, altered TAMM values and silent strokes do not seem to predict cognitive impairment in SCD patients. Our results do not seem to confirm the data found in literature, particularly the association between cognitive impairment and silent strokes [5] and [6]. The relationship between brain tissue injury and cognitive impairment in SCD is not well understood.