What is the link between white matter lesions and neurodegeneration?

Abstract

What is the link between white matter lesions and neurodegeneration? Tara M. DeSilva from the Department of Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic, examines the link between white matter lesions and neurodegeneration. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive technology that provides anatomical assessments of the brain to evaluate pathology. One such pathology is white matter lesions (Fig. 1 A, blue), primarily located around the ventricles. The ventricles are cavities within the brain that produce and transport cerebral spinal fluid surrounding and protecting the brain. The brain’s white matter (Fig. 1 A) houses myelinated neuronal axons (Fig. 1 B).