- Academic Editor
-
-
-
Background: Microcirculatory variations have been observed in the
normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) of individuals affected by cerebral small
vessel disease (CSVD). These variations collectively possess the potential to
trigger neuroinflammation and edema, ultimately leading to an elevation in
extracellular fluid (ECF). Nevertheless, the specific alterations in ECF within
the NAWM of CSVD patients have remained inadequately understood.
Methods: We reviewed the clinical and imaging characteristics of a
cohort comprising 129 patients diagnosed with CSVD to investigate alterations in
the ECF within NAWM. The severity of CSVD was assessed by total CSVD magnetic
resonance (MR) score according to the four imaging markers, namely perivascular
space, lacunar infarction, white matter hyperintensities and cerebral microbleed.
ECF was evaluated by the parameter free water (FW), ranging from 0 to 1 generated
from diffusion tensor imaging. Results: Significant differences in NAWM
FW were observed in relation to the total CSVD MR score (p