Vascular Contributions to Healthy Aging and Dementia

Vascular pathologies are among the most common contributors to neurodegenerative changes across the spectrum of normal aging to dementia. Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) encompasses a wide range of conditions affecting capillaries, small arteries, and arterioles, as well as perivascular spaces and fluid dynamics in the brain, playing a significant role in vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). These factors can accelerate the progression of SVD and neuronal degeneration. Since aging is the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD), this Research Topic aims to gather recent research to better understand vascular contributions to healthy aging and age-related cognitive impairment. Other risk factors include diabetes, lifestyle factors, high cholesterol, vascular inflammation, and immune remodeling, all of which can accelerate cognitive dysfunction progression. This special issue includes a total of 21 articles comprising Reviews, Perspectives, and Original Research articles. The articles cover various technical and biological aspects related to recent progress in aging and dementia research. We aim to promote research exchange across different fields, including imaging, VCID, molecular biology, neuroinflammation, and immunology. Most papers in this special issue focus on understanding the disease mechanisms of AD/ADRD and developing new therapeutic strategies.