Abstract
Background: Subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (sVCI), caused by cerebral small vessel disease, accounts for the majority of vascular cognitive impairment, and is characterized by an insidious onset and impaired memory and executive function. If not recognized early, it inevitably develops into vascular dementia. Several quantitative studies have reported the consistent results of brain regions in sVCI patients that can be used to predict dementia conversion. The purpose of the study was to explore the exact abnormalities within the brain in sVCI patients by combining the coordinates reported in previous studies.Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were thoroughly searched to obtain neuroimaging articles on the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, regional homogeneity, and functional connectivity in sVCI patients. According to the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) algorithm, a meta-analysis based on coordinate and functional connectivity modeling was conducted.Results: The quantitative meta-analysis included 20 functional imaging studies on sVCI patients. Alterations in specific brain regions were mainly concentrated in the frontal lobes including the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, and precentral gyrus; parietal lobes including the precuneus, angular gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule; occipital lobes including the lingual gyrus and cuneus; temporal lobes including the fusiform gyrus and middle temporal gyrus; and the limbic system including the cingulate gyrus. These specific brain regions belonged to important networks known as the default mode network, the executive control network, and the visual network.Conclusion: The present study determined specific abnormal brain regions in sVCI patients, and these brain regions with specific changes were found to belong to important brain functional networks. The findings objectively present the exact abnormalities within the brain, which help further understand the pathogenesis of sVCI and identify them as potential imaging biomarkers. The results may also provide a basis for new approaches to treatment.
Highlights
Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), referring to the series of neuropathological processes related to heredity and age, continuously damages the small perforating arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and venules [1]
SVCI patients presented with decreased regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the PCUN, lingual gyrus (LING), insula, posterior lobe, lentiform nucleus, and middle frontal gyrus (MFG) (Figure 3 and Table 2)
Decreases in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were found in the PCUN, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), middle temporal gyrus (MTG), inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and angular gyrus (AG)
Summary
Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), referring to the series of neuropathological processes related to heredity and age, continuously damages the small perforating arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and venules [1]. The cerebral white and deep gray matter are inevitably damaged, which further results in the onset of occult cognitive impairment [1]. Accounting for about 36–67% of VCI, subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (sVCI) caused by CSVD needs early recognition and intervention, which is the key to reducing the incidence of VD [3]. Compared with AD, the cognitive characteristics of sVCI, involve the domains of executive function impairment and attention deficit, rather than more prominent memory impairment [6]. Subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (sVCI), caused by cerebral small vessel disease, accounts for the majority of vascular cognitive impairment, and is characterized by an insidious onset and impaired memory and executive function. Several quantitative studies have reported the consistent results of brain regions in sVCI patients that can be used to predict dementia conversion. The purpose of the study was to explore the exact abnormalities within the brain in sVCI patients by combining the coordinates reported in previous studies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
