scholarly journals Circulating Vascular Growth Factors and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Markers of Small Vessel Disease and Atrophy in Middle-Aged Adults

Stroke ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 2227-2229
Author(s):  
Mekala R. Raman ◽  
Jayandra J. Himali ◽  
Sarah C. Conner ◽  
Charles DeCarli ◽  
Ramachandran S. Vasan ◽  
...  
2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1319-1337 ◽  
Author(s):  
François De Guio ◽  
Eric Jouvent ◽  
Geert Jan Biessels ◽  
Sandra E Black ◽  
Carol Brayne ◽  
...  

Brain imaging is essential for the diagnosis and characterization of cerebral small vessel disease. Several magnetic resonance imaging markers have therefore emerged, providing new information on the diagnosis, progression, and mechanisms of small vessel disease. Yet, the reproducibility of these small vessel disease markers has received little attention despite being widely used in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. This review focuses on the main small vessel disease-related markers on magnetic resonance imaging including: white matter hyperintensities, lacunes, dilated perivascular spaces, microbleeds, and brain volume. The aim is to summarize, for each marker, what is currently known about: (1) its reproducibility in studies with a scan–rescan procedure either in single or multicenter settings; (2) the acquisition-related sources of variability; and, (3) the techniques used to minimize this variability. Based on the results, we discuss technical and other challenges that need to be overcome in order for these markers to be reliably used as outcome measures in future clinical trials. We also highlight the key points that need to be considered when designing multicenter magnetic resonance imaging studies of small vessel disease.


2021 ◽  
pp. 174749302098409
Author(s):  
Thijs RJ Landman ◽  
Dick HJ Thijssen ◽  
Anil M Tuladhar ◽  
Frank-Erik de Leeuw

Background and aims Given the unexplored potential of physical activity to reduce the progression of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD, the purpose of this study was to prospectively (across nine-year follow-up) examine the relation between (baseline) physical activity and the (clinical and imaging) consequences of the whole spectrum of cerebral small vessel disease. Methods Five hundred and three patients with cerebral small vessel disease from the RUNDMC study were followed for nine years. Physical activity was assessed using a questionnaire in 2006, 2011, and 2015. Clinical events (i.e. all-cause mortality, cerebrovascular events (by stroke subtype)) were collected with a structured questionnaire. Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging scanning for the assessment of magnetic resonance imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease (i.e. white matter hyperintensities, lacunes, and microbleeds) and microstructural integrity of the white matter at three timepoints. Results The mean age at baseline was 66 (SD 9.0) years; 44% were women. A higher baseline physical activity level was independently associated with a lower all-cause mortality (HR: 0.69, 95%CI: 0.49–0.98, p = 0.03) and incidence of cerebrovascular disease (HR: 0.58, 95%CI: 0.36–0.96, p = 0.03). However, we found no relation between physical activity and incident lacunar stroke or progression of magnetic resonance imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease. Conclusions Whilst regular physical activity was not related to the progression of magnetic resonance imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease across a nine-year follow-up, results from our study prove that high levels of physical activity in patients with cerebral small vessel disease are associated with a lower all-cause mortality and lower incidence of cerebrovascular events.


Nosotchu ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-18
Author(s):  
Tatsuo Kohriyama ◽  
Shinya Yamaguchi ◽  
Eiji Tanaka ◽  
Yasuhiro Yamamura ◽  
Shigenobu Nakamura

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A Deal ◽  
Melinda C Power ◽  
Karen Bandeen-Roche ◽  
Michael Griswold ◽  
David Knopman ◽  
...  

Introduction: Cerebrovascular small vessel disease, seen on brain imaging as lacunes and white matter hyperintensities (WMH), is a substrate for dementia in older adults. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is thought to provide early signs of loss of white matter (WM) integrity due to microvascular disease and predicts WM hyperintensity volume. Retinal fundus photography provides surrogate measures of cerebral microvasculature. No studies have quantified the long-term association between retinal signs and DTI measures. Hypothesis: Microvascular retinal signs measured in midlife are associated with small vessel disease measured on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 18 years later, including reduced WM microstructural integrity (lower fractional anisotrophy [FA] and greater mean diffusivity [MD] by DTI), greater WM hyperintensity volume and greater lacune prevalence. Methods: In a biracial prospective cohort study, retinal signs were measured using fundus photography (1993-1995) with 3-T magnetic resonance imaging conducted in 2011-13. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression was used to quantify the relationships of retinal signs with WM measures. Prevalence of lacunar infarcts by retinal sign status was estimated using log binomial regression. Analyses were adjusted for age [linear and quadratic terms], education, sex, race, intracranial volume, body mass index, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and ≥1 APOE ε4 alleles. Results: In 1829 men and women (60% [N=1100] female, 27% [N=489] black race, aged 50-72 years when retinal signs were measured), a binary measure comprised of two retinal signs suggestive of arteriolar damage due to hypertension (focal arteriolar narrowing and/or arteriovenous nicking) was associated with worse (lower) FA (standardized β=-0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-0.35, -0.02), worse (higher) MD (β=0.15, 95% CI=0.00, 0.30), greater WM hyperintensity volume (β=0.15, 95% CI=0.01, 0.30), and greater prevalence of lacunes (prevalence ratio=1.33, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.80). Generalized arteriolar narrowing, measured as the central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE, narrowest quartile vs. widest three quartiles) was associated with worse FA (β=-0.13, 95% CI=-0.24, -0.01) and worse MD (β=0.12, 95% CI=0.01, 0.23). Results did not differ by sex, race, hypertension status or APOE ε4 genotype. No associations were found for retinopathy, but only 56 participants had retinopathy. Conclusions: Consistent with prior work, and as expected based on a common underlying pathology, retinal signs predicted WM disease and lacunar infarcts 18 years later. Novel to this study, we found that retinal signs related to arteriolar damage also predicted loss of white matter microvascular integrity measured using DTI.


2020 ◽  
pp. 239698732092961
Author(s):  
Una Clancy ◽  
Daniela Jaime Garcia ◽  
Michael S Stringer ◽  
Michael J Thrippleton ◽  
Maria C Valdés-Hernández ◽  
...  

Background Cerebral small vessel disease is a major cause of dementia and stroke, visible on brain magnetic resonance imaging. Recent data suggest that small vessel disease lesions may be dynamic, damage extends into normal-appearing brain and microvascular dysfunctions include abnormal blood–brain barrier leakage, vasoreactivity and pulsatility, but much remains unknown regarding underlying pathophysiology, symptoms, clinical features and risk factors of small vessel disease. Patients and Methods: The Mild Stroke Study 3 is a prospective observational cohort study to identify risk factors for and clinical implications of small vessel disease progression and regression among up to 300 adults with non-disabling stroke. We perform detailed serial clinical, cognitive, lifestyle, physiological, retinal and brain magnetic resonance imaging assessments over one year; we assess cerebrovascular reactivity, blood flow, pulsatility and blood–brain barrier leakage on magnetic resonance imaging at baseline; we follow up to four years by post and phone. The study is registered ISRCTN 12113543. Summary Factors which influence direction and rate of change of small vessel disease lesions are poorly understood. We investigate the role of small vessel dysfunction using advanced serial neuroimaging in a deeply phenotyped cohort to increase understanding of the natural history of small vessel disease, identify those at highest risk of early disease progression or regression and uncover novel targets for small vessel disease prevention and therapy.


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