Aging macaques bridge the translational gap in perivascular space biology

The brain-wide burden of MR-visible perivascular spaces (PVS) is age-dependent in rhesus macaques. Automated quantification in 94 male and female animals ranging 5-28 years of age demonstrated a robust association of age with PVS count and volume, and an anatomical distribution paralleling that of humans. Preliminary ex vivo microscopy confirmed that an MRI-detected tubular structure corresponded to a perivascular space. These findings begin to establish the rhesus macaque as a tractable model for understanding the role of perivascular function in age-related brain vulnerability.