Pathophysiology of cerebral small vessels in vascular cognitive impairment.
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.
Pantoni
Leonardo
L
Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence, Italy. pantoni@neuro.unifi.it
Simoni
Michela
M
D000368:Aged; D001160:Arterioles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology