SHORT REPORT Decline in intelligence is associated with progression in white matter hyperintensity volume

Objectives: To quantify the time course of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and assess the association between progression and cognitive decline in non-demented octogen-arians. Methods: From a Danish cohort of 698 people born in 1914, 26 participated in neuropsychological assessment (Wechsler adult intelligence scale) initiated at age 50, including cognitive testing and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging at the 80 and 85 year studies. WMH volumes were quan-tified and partial correlations were calculated between WMH volume change and decline in WAIS scores from 80 to 85. Results: Progression in WMH volume ranged from 0 ml to 20.7 ml, providing a median increase of 2.6 ml (range 0.1 to 20.7, p,0.001) and, with a mean time interval between scans of 3.8 years, a rate of progression of 0.63 (0 to 6.8