Characterization of White Matter Hyperintensities in Large-Scale MRI-Studies

Area of Science:

• Neurology and Neuroimaging
• Gerontology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are common in aging populations and linked to cerebral small vessel disease.
• WMH contribute to cognitive decline, dementia, depression, stroke, and gait disturbances.
• Understanding WMH pathophysiology and treatment requires large-scale quantitative assessment.

Approach:

• Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines of 1,196 identified articles.
• Extracted data included publication year, sample size, subject demographics, WMH definition, and segmentation methods.
• Included 137 articles, predominantly prospective cohort studies (134 articles).

Key Points:

• Most studies (80) investigated WMH associations with risk factors like hypertension and diabetes.
• Sixty-three studies analyzed WMH links to secondary conditions such as cognitive decline and mood disorders.
• Segmentation methods varied, with automated techniques used in 75 studies; only 18% provided explicit WMH definitions.

Conclusions:

• WMH research is a dynamic field with numerous studies on risk factors and clinical outcomes.
• A wide array of segmentation techniques are employed, highlighting a need for methodological standardization.
• Further standardization of WMH definitions and segmentation methods is crucial for advancing research in this area.