Structural and functional alterations in cerebral small vessel disease: an ALE-based meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Medical research

Background:

• Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a major cause of stroke and dementia.
• Existing studies show varied brain alterations in CSVD patients, lacking consistent findings.
• Reliable biomarkers for CSVD pathogenesis and cognitive impairment are needed.

Approach:

• A meta-analysis was conducted to identify consistent brain structural and functional changes in CSVD.
• Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) was used to analyze neuroimaging data.
• Studies on sporadic CSVD and cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) were included.

Key Points:

• Reliable functional activity changes in sporadic CSVD include the left angular gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, and right rolandic operculum.
• Structural gray matter alterations in sporadic CSVD are found in the left insular cortex/superior temporal gyrus/claustrum.
• Decreased activity in the caudate head and anterior cingulate cortex, and reduced insular gray matter are linked to CSVD cognitive impairment.
• CADASIL shows distinct functional alterations concentrated in the left parahippocampal gyrus.

Conclusions:

• This meta-analysis identifies stable brain abnormalities in CSVD, offering insights into its pathogenesis.
• The findings provide potential biomarkers for evaluating treatment effectiveness in CSVD.
• Understanding these structural and functional changes is crucial for managing CSVD-related cognitive decline.