Deep medullary veins are associated with widespread brain structural abnormalities

J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2022 Jun;42(6):997-1006. doi: 10.1177/0271678X211065210. Epub 2021 Dec 2.

Abstract

Our aim is to investigate the association of cerebral deep medullary veins (DMVs) with white matter microstructural integrity and regional brain atrophy in MRI. In a community-based cohort of 979 participants (mean age 55.4 years), DMVs were identified on susceptibility-weighted imaging. Brain structural measurements including gray matter and hippocampus volumes, as well as diffusion tensor metrics, were evaluated. The mean (SD)number of DMVs was 19.0 (1.7). A fewer number of DMVs was related to lower fractional anisotropy and higher mean diffusivity in multiple voxels on the white matter skeleton (threshold-free cluster enhancement corrected p < 0.05, adjusted for age and sex). Also, fewer DMVs were significantly related to a lower gray matter fraction and a hippocampal fraction (0.10 and 0.11 per DMV, respectively; SE, 0.03 for both; p < 0.001 for both). A significant correlation between DMVs' reduction and cortical atrophy was observed in the bilateral occipital lobes, temporal lobes, hippocampus, and frontal lobes (p < 0.001, adjusted for age, sex, and total intracranial volume). Our results provided evidence that cerebral small venules disease play a role in brain parenchymal lesions and neurodegenerative processes.

Keywords: Deep medullary veins; cerebral small vessel disease; magnetic resonance imaging; neurodegeneration; voxel-based morphometry.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Atrophy / pathology
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Diseases* / pathology
  • Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases* / pathology
  • Gray Matter / pathology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Middle Aged
  • White Matter* / pathology