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Pathophysiology of Cerebral Small Vessels in Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2005

Leonardo Pantoni  and
Michela Simoni
Leonardo Pantoni
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence, Italy
Michela Simoni
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence, Italy
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Abstract

Cerebral small-vessel alterations play a central role in determining lesions of subcortical structures and eventually may lead to cognitive impairment. Small-vessel diseases are classified according to the pathological viewpoint. The most important ones are the changes in small arteries and arterioles caused by prolonged hypertension. These small-vessel changes may result in ischemic damage to the brain parenchyma and blood-barrier alterations. Both mechanisms are thought to contribute to the occurrence of white-matter changes and lacunar infarcts. Modern magnetic resonance techniques such as diffusion, perfusion, and spectroscopy may allow the in vivo study of the pathophysiology of small-vessel diseases and the consequences on the brain parenchyma.

Keywords

Small-vessel diseasecognitive impairmentmagnetic resonancewhite-matter changeslacunar infarcts
Type
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 15 , Issue S1 , July 2003 , pp. 59 - 65
Copyright
© 2003 International Psychogeriatric Association

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