Association of enlarged perivascular spaces (ePVS) and MRI markers of small vessel disease (SVD) and neurodegeneration in the Florida Vascular Imaging Phenotypes (FL‐VIP) Study of AD Risk

Background PVS are fluid filled compartments surrounding small intracerebral vessels. They are conduits for fluid transport, exchange, and waste clearance. ePVS are observed in AD, but their relation to SVD markers and neurodegeneration is unknown. We tested whether ePVS are correlated with markers of SVD but not cortical atrophy. Method We analyzed subjects’ brains from the FL‐VIP (comprised of all 1Florida ADRC participants with high quality 3T MRI). ePVS were defined as parenchymal hypo/hyperintensities of 1. Scores ranged from 0‐7 total (mean 2.5±1.4), 0‐4 for BG (mean 1.3±0.7) and CSO (1.2 ±0.9). In unadjusted analyses, total ePVS correlated with WMHV (r=0.46, p