Background: Enlarged perivascular spaces (ePVS) and white matter
hyperintensities (WMHs) are recognised neuroimaging lesions for symptomatic
and/or occult cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) that are linked with the
predisposition to cardiocerebrovascular risk and neurocognitive impairment. This
study aimed to determine the interrelation between the WMHs and ePVS,
neurocognition, and cardiocerebrovascular risk profiles in asymptomatic
working-aged adults at a single-center population-based cohort. Methods:
Fifty-four asymptomatic subjects (mean age: 39.6 11.6 years) with
low-to-moderate cardiocerebrovascular risk measured by QRISK3 prediction score
were recruited and underwent neurocognitive evaluation and 3T MRI brain scan.
Contour plot with multiple logistic and linear regression were utilized to study
the interrelation between the variables. Results: The presence of WMHs
and ePVS was associated with hypertension, systolic blood pressure, QRISK3 score,
and age, whereby asymptomatic older subjects had higher prevalence for WHMs and
ePVS (mean age: WMHs [46.6 12.2 years]; ePVS [43.12 12.2 years]).
Higher ePVS load and reduced hippocampal volume among ePVS subjects was
associated with reduced processing speed (odd ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence
interval: 1.00 to 1.13) and reduced working memory performance (standardized
coefficients, −0.46 [95% CI: 0.46 to 12.1], p 0.05),
respectively. Conclusions: Albeit from a single center in the suburban
east coast peninsular Malaysia, this study is to first from the region to
highlight the subtle impacts of occult CSVD manifestations (WMHs and ePVS) on
some aspects of neurocognition in an otherwise asymptomatic, relatively young
working-aged adults with low-to-moderate cardiocerebrovascular risk scores.