[The clinical significance of changes in the central nervous system in rheumatic and hypertensive vascular cerebral disorders]. Investigation of the central nervous system by means of computer-aided tomography (CAT) and other methods was carried out in 80 patients. Some common CT signs, such as hypodensity of the white substance, ventricular system enlargement and its dilation, were found in patients with different clinical manifestations of cerebral circulatory disorders. The data obtained have been compared to those from rheumocardiosclerotics and hypertensives without brain involvement. It was shown that an increase in the CAT indices is related to the gravity of the clinical picture and is closely associated with the advancement of cerebral hemodynamic disturbances. The results obtained permitted formulation of some differential diagnostic criteria in cerebral circulatory disorders.