The Relationship of Cerebral Vessel Pathology to Brain Microinfarcts

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

The relationship of cerebral vessel pathology to brain microinfarcts is not fully understood. We examined associations of cerebral vessel pathology with microinfarcts among community-dwelling persons who came to autopsy. Brain specimens were derived from 1,066 deceased subjects (mean age-at-death = 88 years, 65% women) participating in a cohort study of aging. Microinfarcts were classified by number, age and location. Severity of vessel pathologies was graded semi-quantitatively. Almost a third of subjects (n = 300; 28%) had at least one chronic microinfarct, including 128 cortical only, 120 subcortical only, and 47 with both. Moderate-to-severe atherosclerosis was present in 430 (41%) subjects, arteriolosclerosis in 382 (36%), and amyloid angiopathy in 374 (35%). The odds of one or multiple microinfarct(s) was increased for more severe atherosclerosis (OR =1.22; 95%CI: 1.03-1.45), arteriolosclerosis (OR =1.18; 95%CI: 1.02-1.37) and amyloid angiopathy (OR =1.13; 95%CI: 1.00-1.28). Separately, the odds of subcortical microinfarct(s) was increased for atherosclerosis (OR =1.49; 95%CI: 1.20-1.84) and arteriolosclerosis (OR =1.39; 95%CI: 1.16-1.67) but not amyloid angiopathy; whereas the odds of cortical microinfarct(s) was increased for amyloid angiopathy (OR =1.26; 95%CI: 1.09-1.46) only. While cerebral vessel pathologies are associated with microinfarct burden, atherosclerosis and arteriolosclerosis are associated with subcortical microinfarcts, and amyloid angiopathy with cortical microinfarcts.

Related collections

Most cited references 27

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Overview and findings from the rush Memory and Aging Project.

David A. Bennett, Julie A. Schneider, Aron S. Buchman … (2012)

The Memory and Aging Project is a longitudinal, epidemiologic clinical-pathologic cohort study of common chronic conditions of aging with an emphasis on decline in cognitive and motor function and risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this manuscript, we first summarize the study design and methods. Then, we present data on: (1) the relation of motor function to cognition, disability, and death; (2) the relation of risk factors to cognitive and motor outcomes, disability and death; (3) the relation of neuropathologic indices to cognitive outcomes; (4) the relation of risk factors to neuropathologic indices; and (5) additional study findings. The findings are discussed and contextualized.

0 comments Cited 333 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Overview and findings from the religious orders study.

David A. Bennett, Julie A. Schneider, Zoe Arvanitakis … (2012)

The Religious Orders Study is a longitudinal clinical-pathologic cohort study of aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this manuscript, we summarize the study methods including the study design and describe the clinical evaluation, assessment of risk factors, collection of ante-mortem biological specimens, brain autopsy and collection of selected postmortem data. (1) review the relation of neuropathologic indices to clinical diagnoses and cognition proximate to death; (2) examine the relation of risk factors to clinical outcomes; (3) examine the relation of risk factors to measures of neuropathology; and (4) summarize additional study findings. We then discuss and contextualize the study findings.

0 comments Cited 262 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Cerebral microinfarcts: the invisible lesions.

Eric E. Smith, Julie Schneider, Joanna M. Wardlaw … (2012)

The association between small but still visible lacunar infarcts and cognitive decline has been established by population-based radiological and pathological studies. Microscopic examination of brain sections shows even smaller but substantially more numerous microinfarcts, the focus of this Review. These lesions often result from small vessel pathologies such as arteriolosclerosis or cerebral amyloid angiopathy. They typically go undetected in clinical-radiological correlation studies that rely on conventional structural MRI, although the largest acute microinfarcts can be detected by diffusion-weighted imaging. In view of their high numbers and widespread distribution, microinfarcts could directly disrupt important cognitive networks and thus account for some of the neurological dysfunction associated with lesions visible on conventional MRI such as lacunar infarcts and white matter hyperintensities. Standardised neuropathological assessment criteria and the development of non-invasive means of detection during life would be major steps towards understanding the causes and consequences of otherwise macroscopically invisible microinfarcts. Copyright Â© 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.