Is white matter disease considered a disability?

Conclusion: WMHs are common, albeit mild, in middle adult life. They are associated with physical disability, possibly through reduced speed, fine motor coordination, and muscular strength.

How long can you live with mild white matter disease?

It is not possible to stop disease progression, and it is typically fatal within 6 months to 4 years of symptom onset. People with the juvenile form of metachromatic leukodystrophy, which develops between the age of 4 and adolescence, may live for many years after diagnosis.

Can you live a normal life with white matter disease?

The life expectancy after a diagnosis of white matter disease depends on the speed it progresses and the severity of any other conditions it may cause, like stroke and dementia. White matter disease is believed to be a factor in both strokes and dementia.

What does white matter on a brain MRI mean?

White matter disease is commonly detected on brain MRI of aging individuals as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), or ‘leukoaraiosis.” Over the years it has become increasingly clear that the presence and extent of WMH is a radiographic marker of small cerebral vessel disease and an important predictor of the life- …

What does subcortical white matter do?

The subcortical white matter makes up around half of the human brain volume. It is responsible for the interconnection of cortical and subcortical areas, participating in the constitution of the wide neural networks related to a host of motor, sensory, cognitive, and behavioral functions.

What are subcortical lesions?

Subcortical MRI lesions were found to be associated with arteriosclerosis, dilated perivascular spaces, and vascular ectasia (p less than 0.05). These histological changes were characteristic of “état criblé” which, like subcortical MRI lesions, is associated with age and hypertension.