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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
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An In Vivo Assessment of Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in a Rat Model of Ischemic Stroke
Published on: March 11, 2018
Changes in background blood-brain barrier integrity between lacunar and cortical ischemic stroke subtypes
Stroke
|March 1, 2008
Summary
Patients with lacunar stroke show increased blood-brain barrier leakage, particularly in cerebrospinal fluid and white matter. This suggests potential blood-brain barrier dysfunction as a mechanism in lacunar stroke and cerebral microvascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Cerebrovascular Disease
Background:
- Lacunar stroke is linked to endothelial dysfunction and intrinsic cerebral microvascular disease.
- Endothelial dysfunction may compromise blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity.
- This study investigates background BBB leakage in lacunar stroke patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare generalized cerebral blood-brain barrier leakage in lacunar stroke patients versus cortical stroke controls.
- To assess the role of BBB dysfunction in lacunar stroke pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Recruited patients with lacunar or mild cortical ischemic stroke.
- Assessed BBB leak using MRI with intravenous gadolinium contrast at least 1 month post-stroke.
- Analyzed signal changes in gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid using advanced image processing and general linear modeling.
Main Results:
- Significantly higher postcontrast enhancement in cerebrospinal fluid (P=0.04) in lacunar stroke patients compared to cortical controls.
- Nonsignificantly higher white matter enhancement in lacunar strokes.
- No significant difference in gray matter enhancement between groups.
- General linear modeling confirmed greater cerebrospinal fluid enhancement in lacunar patients (t=3.37, P<0.0008).
Conclusions:
- Preliminary findings suggest potential blood-brain barrier dysfunction in subcortical white matter of lacunar stroke patients.
- Abnormal BBB may be a key mechanism in cerebral microvascular disease.
- Further research is needed to confirm these results and explore if BBB abnormalities precede lacunar disease development.
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