Jasmin Keller and other researchers from the LUMC and Iceland found that the shape of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), white matter brain lesions visible on MRI scans, is linked to the risk of dementia and the progression of cerebrovascular disease in older adults. In a study of 2,297 participants, those with irregularly shaped WMHs were more likely to experience an increase in these lesions and develop new brain issues, such as small strokes and microbleeds, over 5.2 years. These findings suggest that the shape of WMHs could help predict and monitor the progression of cerebrovascular disease, potentially aiding in early detection and treatment.

This combines with previous work on this cohort, which has been a succesful collaboration between the Icelandic Heart Association and LUMC researchers for a long time.

Read the abstract on our own website new! and the full paper here.