[Features of disorders of higher cortical function in patients with incipient cerebral atherosclerosis].

The findings from a neuropsychological study of 95 patients with initial cerebral atherosclerosis were analyzed. Higher cortical dysfunctions were revealed most commonly while examining acoustic and optic gnosis and mnemonic functions as well as in tests involving calculation operations and tasks requiring active and stable attention and intact spatial orientation. The factors causing these disorders vary in incipient manifestations of the compromised brain circulation versus early dyscirculatory encephalopathy. In patients with initial manifestations of impaired cerebral circulation, disorders of higher cortical functions are associated with disturbances of voluntary attention whereas dyscirculatory encephalopathy leads to dysfunctions of the gnostic systems, disorders of neural processes mobility and modal-specific mnemonic impairments. It is possible to trace the time-course of these disturbances ranging from mild defects of the higher cortical functions organization due to the impairment of voluntary attention to the dysfunction of the integrated hemisphere systems, arising from the inadequacy of their blood supply.