SERUM LEPTIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH MICROSTRUCTURE OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS IN MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

significance. This paper studies the relationship of WMH to the cognitive function of healthy Filipino adults with normal hippocampal volume and with no previous history of stroke.Methods: 202 patients with MRI hippocampal volumetry, neurocognitive tests (MMSE, MoCA) and normal metabolic parameters were studied. Hippocampal volume was determined using NeuroQuant software. Those with low hippocampal volume and MRI evidence of stroke of any age were excluded. MR images were reviewed and WMH were graded using Fazekas scale. Correlational statistical analysis was made on the relationship of WMH to neurocognitive scores. Results: There is significant relationship between age and Fazekas score. The higher the age, the higher is the Fazekas score, and the greater is the non-specific white matter change (p1⁄40.004). There is a clinically significant correlation between Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) with the degree of WMH, worst between advanced Fazekas 3 and 4. (see Figure 1) Conclusions: This paper to the best of our knowledge is the first to use hippocampal volumetry and exclude subjects with Alzheimer and vascular dementia to get a pure sample of healthy adults with only WMH on MRI. Our results show that there is a clinically significant drop in neurocognitive scores with increasing WMH. This paper is also the first to explore cognitive impairment in Asian Filipino population with no apparent neurocognitive impairment but only has WMH on MRI.