Perivascular space, brain functional connectivity and sleep: a healthy aging population study

Perivascular space (PVS) surrounds cortical perforating vessels as part of the brain clearance system. Sleep affects both brain clearance and functional connectivity (FC), but impacts of PVS on FC remains unclear. We utilized T1-W and resting state-fMRI data, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and NIH cognitive tests from 512 health aging (HCP-Aging). Basal ganglia (BG)-PVS was positively correlated with FC in the right anterior medial temporal gyrus (aMTG) and right temporal regions, while centrum-semiovale (CSO)-PVS was positively correlated with FC in the left hippocampus and right frontal regions. In early middle-aged, increased CSO-PVS showed higher hippocampal FC and better cognition. Individuals with longer time spent in bed had larger BG-PVS linked to higher FC in the right aMTG. Additionally, older adults with better sleep quality had larger BG-PVS linked to higher FC in the right aMTG. This suggests that PVS morphology may reflect changes in neural connections involved in memory-related regions. This study is based on the same cohort as our previous work; however, it extends the investigation by incorporating functional connectivity analyses to provide novel insights beyond regional activity.