About this Research Topic

Background

Aging-related neurodegenerative diseases are associated with disruptions in the cerebrovascular system. Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with manifold clinical consequences including vascular dementia (VaD), the second most common dementia subtype. There is also increasing evidence that CVD both increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and may exacerbate the severity of the symptoms expressed. In particular, cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), including lacunar infarctions, white matter lesions and cerebral microbleeds, have been shown to be associated not only with stroke incidence, but also with the progression of dementia. However, traditional markers of CVD such as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are inconsistently associated with the clinical outcomes. Therefore, a better understanding of CVD (in particular SVD) is needed and novel perspectives are required to further our understanding of the interaction between CVD, cognitive aging and neuropathology.

The aim of the current Research Topic is to provide a multi-disciplinary survey on the latest research on CVD and their relationships with aging-related neuropsychiatric disorders, in order to better understand the risk factors and consequences of CVD in aging. Furthermore, we aim to highlight the potential of targeting CVD-related biomarkers as an early intervention strategy for age-related cognitive decline and dementia in the future. In this Research Topic, we hope to accelerate advancements in each of the following main areas a) determining factors for the progression to dementias from CVD b) establishing risk and protective factors for CVD (in particular SVD) in aging c) improving the accuracy in the quantification of CVD burden using neuroimaging data d) taking advantage of big datasets to tackle hidden relationships. To fulfill these aims, coordinated efforts of multiple research disciplines including neuroscience, neurology, genetics, epidemiology, pharmacology, medical informatics, and computer science are required. Thus, this Research Topic seeks multidisciplinary contributions that will improve our understanding of the relationship between brain aging and cerebrovascular disease with a particular focus on cerebral small vessel diseases.

All types of manuscripts (original research, literature review, clinical trials, and methods) addressing the topics listed below will be considered:

• The relationship between CVD (in particular SVD) and other neuropsychiatric disorders (especially dementias, neurodegenerative disease and depression)
• Novel neuroimaging biomarkers for CVD (in particular SVD) and how they can be used as an early intervention strategy for age-related cognitive decline
• Computational neuroanatomy studies that advance our characterization of CVD and SVD.
• Cognitive impairment in CVD (in particular SVD)
• Etiology and clinical symptoms associated with the spatial distribution of cerebrovascular burdens in either CVD or SVD, especially those relating to cognitive impairment intensity
• The interaction between CVD and Aβ deposition in the brain and the aging process and its impact on the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease
• The relationship between CVD and neuroinflammation and its impact on the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression
• Other studies related to CVD and aging, especially international collaborative efforts to understand the clinical consequences (cognitive decline, onset of neurodegenerative diseases, etc.) of CVD

Keywords: Cerebrovascular Disease, Dementia, Cerebral Small Vessel Disease, Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Aging

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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