To establish the association between cortical cerebral microinfarcts and brain volume loss over time and explore their combined and synergistic impact on cognitive decline.
Key Findings:
Cortical cerebral microinfarcts were associated with greater decreases in total brain volume, grey matter volume, and white matter volume over 2 years.
Patients with multiple microinfarcts showed more pronounced brain volume loss.
Higher microinfarct burden correlated with significantly lower global cognitive scores, particularly in executive function, memory, language, and visuospatial function.
Interpretation:
The study established a longitudinal association between cortical cerebral microinfarcts and brain atrophy progression, with significant synergistic effects on cognitive decline.
Limitations:
The study's population was limited to older Asian individuals, which may affect generalizability.
Potential confounding factors related to other cerebrovascular diseases, such as white matter hyperintensities and lacunes, were not fully explored.
Conclusion:
Cortical cerebral microinfarcts and brain atrophy interact to exacerbate cognitive decline, emphasizing the need for further research on mixed pathologies in cognitive impairment and dementia.
