Determinants of Perivascular Spaces in the General Population
Tavia E. Evans, Maria J. Knol, Petra Schwingenschuh, Katharina Wittfeld, Saima Hilal, M. Arfan Ikram, Florian Dubost, Kimberlin M. H. van Wijnen, Petra Katschnig, Pınar Yilmaz, Marleen de Bruijne, Mohamad Habes, Christopher Chen, Sönke Langer, Henry Völzke, Muhammad Ikram, Hans J. Grabe, Reinhold Schmidt, Hieab H.H. Adams, Meike W. Vernooij
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Perivascular spaces (PVS) are emerging markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), but research on their determinants has been hampered by conflicting results from small single studies using heterogeneous rating methods. In this study, we therefore aimed to identify determinants of PVS burden in a pooled analysis of multiple cohort studies using 1 harmonized PVS rating method. METHODS: genotypes, and other imaging markers of CSVD. Negative binomial regression models were used to examine the association between these determinants and PVS counts. RESULTS: ε4-alleles (1.02 [1.01-1.04]). Furthermore, white matter hyperintensity volume and presence of lacunes were associated with PVS in multiple regions, but most strongly with the basal ganglia (1.13 [1.12-1.14] and 1.10 [1.09-1.12], respectively). DISCUSSION: Various factors are associated with the burden of PVS, in part regionally specific, which points toward a multifactorial origin beyond what can be expected from PVS-related risk factor profiles. This study highlights the power of collaborative efforts in population neuroimaging research.