Takeaway
The blood brain barrier (BBB) is impaired and cerebral blood flow (CBF) is reduced near to white-matter hyperintensities (WMH). High BBB impairment also correlates with lower CBF in both WMH and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM).
Why this matters ?
There is a correlation between BBB and CBF in Alzheimer’s disease, but such a link has not been investigated in cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD). If there was a link, then these features could inform treatment strategy.