Imaging Biomarkers of VCI: A Focused Update

Abstract

Vascular cognitive impairment is common after stroke, in memory clinics, medicine for the elderly services, and undiagnosed in the community. Vascular disease is said to be the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer disease, yet vascular dysfunction is now known to predate cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease, and most dementias at older ages are mixed. Neuroimaging has a major role in identifying the proportion of vascular versus other likely pathologies in patients with cognitive impairment. Here, we aim to provide a pragmatic but evidence-based summary of the current state of potential imaging biomarkers, focusing on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, which are relevant to diagnosing, estimating prognosis, monitoring vascular cognitive impairment, and incorporating our own experiences. We focus on markers that are well-established, with a known profile of association with cognitive measures, but also consider more recently described, including quantitative tissue markers of vascular injury. We highlight the gaps in accessibility and translation to more routine clinical practice.

Introduction to Focused Update Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: Better Diagnosis, More Avenues for Prevention

“…In this issue, Clancy et al provide an update on basic and advanced imaging biomarkers. 8 This includes a reminder that computed tomography conveys clinically relevant information. To date, most neuroimaging research on VCID has utilized magnetic resonance imaging, beginning with the seminal studies that first defined the high prevalence of covert cerebral small vessel disease and its clinical relevance.…”