Determinants of 7T MRI microvascular function and link with small vessel disease burden in an ageing population

Motivation: Novel 7T MR techniques allow non-invasive assessment of cerebral small vessel function, potentially relevant to small vessel disease (SVD), a common cause of stroke and dementia. Goal(s): Assess determinants of small vessel function and its link to SVD lesion burden. Approach: Perforating artery blood flow velocity and pulsatility were measured with 7T MRI in 200 participants >60 years from a population-based sample and linked to vascular risk factors and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume using linear regression. Results: Age, blood pressure, and BMI were determinants of small vessel function. In turn, vessel function did not relate to WMH burden. Impact: In the general aging population, perforating artery blood flow velocity and pulsatility do not relate to whole-brain SVD-lesion load. Other complementary small vessel function measures should be investigated as a potential early marker of SVD.