Detection of Cortical Perivascular Spaces using Heavily T2-weighted MRI at 7T

Motivation: Cortical PVS have received limited attention because of detection challenges due to their small size. However, they may hold valuable insights into neurological disorders. Goal(s): This work aims to classify and quantify cortical PVS detected in healthy participants. Approach: Using optimized 7T heavily T2-weigthed MRI, we classified PVS morphologies based on their location related to intraparenchymal arteries in connection with the cortex and quantified their density throughout the whole brain. Results: Four characteristic classes of PVS associated with the cortex were consistently identified. Cortical PVS density was highest in the insula and 3 times lower compared to white matter in the whole brain. Impact: This study lays the groundwork for assessing the diagnostic utility of detecting cortical PVS changes as well as understanding the mechanisms for structural changes in cortex due to neurological disorders.