Losing your train of thought may be a deadly warning sign

Ever lose your train of thought? Frequently feel absentminded or forgetful? You may be exhibiting early symptoms of cerebral small vessel disease, or “silent stroke,” according to a recent study.

Researchers discovered that those with damage to the brain’s white matter, caused by “silent strokes”, reported poor attentiveness, and being distracted more often in day-to-day activities according to a paper in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

Despite the findings, nearly half of the people identified with white matter damage scored within normal range of laboratory assessments of attention and executive functions (or the ability to plan, stay organized, and maintain focus during tasks).

“Our results indicate that in many cases of people who were at a higher risk of silent stroke and had one, they saw a notable difference in their ability to stay focused, even before symptoms became detectable through a neuropsychological test,” said Ayan Dey, lead author on the paper. “ “If a person feels this may be the case, concerns should be brought to a doctor, especially if the person has a health condition or lifestyle that puts them at a higher risk of stroke or heart disease.”

Cerebral small vessel disease is one of the most common neurological disorders of aging. This type of stroke and changes in the brain’s blood flow are connected to the development of dementia.

The strokes are labeled “silent” since there is no immediate or lasting effects like loss of speech or paralysis.

Despite the lack of obvious symptoms, these “silent strokes” are damaging the white matter of the brain over time, which can cause problems with memory and cognitive function.

Dey says this condition is usually only found through the use of MRI or when the damage has worsened.

“There are no effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, but brain vascular changes can be prevented or reduced through smoking cessation, exercise, diet and stress management, as well as keeping one’s blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol under control,” said Dr. Brian Levine, senior author on the paper “With the right diagnosis, these interventions and lifestyle changes give older adults who are at risk for cognitive decline some options for maintaining brain health.”

The study looked at results of 54 adults aged between 55 and 80 years old who also possessed one risk factor for stroke — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and sleep apnea.

Participants had their brain scanned by MRI and scientists analyzed functional brain imaging and electrical brain activity to look at different functions of brain networks.

Following this study, scientists will look to find why some people perform better at cognitive tests despite damage to white matter.

“The question that remains is whether overcoming these changes in the brain is a natural ability some people have or if this is something that can be built up over time,” Dey said. “If it’s something that can be developed, is it something we can train?”