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Lesion Explorer: A Video-guided, Standardized Protocol for Accurate and Reliable MRI-derived Volumetrics in Alzheimer's Disease and Normal Elderly
Published on: April 14, 2014
Enlarged perivascular spaces are associated with cognitive function in healthy elderly men
A M J Maclullich1, J M Wardlaw, K J Ferguson
1Geriatric Medicine Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Room SU220, The Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, EH16 4SB. a.maclullich@ed.ac.uk
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|October 19, 2004
Summary
Enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) in the brain are linked to poorer cognitive function in older men. This finding suggests EPVS may be a relevant factor in cognitive aging research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- White matter (WM) lesions on MRI are associated with cognitive decline in aging.
- Enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) often coexist with WM lesions but their cognitive impact is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that greater EPVS extent is associated with worse cognitive function in older men.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-seven healthy men (65-70 years) underwent MRI and cognitive testing.
- Quantified EPVS in basal ganglia/centrum semiovale and hippocampus.
- Measured WM lesions using established scales.
Main Results:
- EPVS in basal ganglia/centrum semiovale correlated with poorer non-verbal reasoning and visuospatial ability.
- WM lesion burden correlated with visuospatial ability and unexpectedly with verbal memory.
- EPVS in the hippocampus did not correlate with cognitive measures.
Conclusions:
- Increased EPVS are associated with worse cognitive function in older men.
- Future research should include EPVS measures in studies of brain aging.
- Further work is needed to develop reliable EPVS measurement tools.
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