Abstract
MRI studies were carried out on 69 patients with multiple lacunar infarcts : 32 had hyperactive-type delirium and the other 37 were non-delirious controls. Between the two groups, there were no statistically significant differences in mean age and sex distribution. In the corona radiata and basal ganglia, the number of infarcts did not differ between the two groups. However, the extent of thalamic infarcts and periventricular hyperintensity (PVH), the maximal width of the third ventricle and Evans' ratio among the delirious patients were significantly larger than those in the controls. In conclusion, thalamic lesions and diffuse advanced PVH may have an intimate correlation in the development of hyperactive-type delirium in patients with multiple lacunar infarcts.
