Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With Basal Ganglia Enlarged Perivascular Spaces and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Load.

Background And Purpose: We assessed whether the load of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) and its individual markers, including lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds, and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), are associated with arterial stiffness.

Methods: We evaluated cSVD markers in a cohort of 782 hypertensive individuals without history of stroke or dementia. The load of the disease was calculated using an ordinal scale ranging from 0 to 4 (1 point was given for each of the 4 markers examined).

Dementia Rating Scale-2 normative data for middle-and older-aged Castilian speaking Spaniards.

Objectives: The Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2) is frequently used as a dementia screening tool in clinical and research settings in Spain. The present study describes DRS-2 Total and subscale scores in community-dwelling Spaniards, aged 50-71, and provides normative data for its use in Castilian Spanish-speaking individuals.

Methods: The sample consisted of 798 individuals who participated in an observational study on essential hypertension.

Cognitive assessment protocol design in the ISSYS (Investigating Silent Strokes in hYpertensives: a magnetic resonance imaging Study).

Hypertension and silent cerebrovascular lesions (SCL) detected by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline. In a prospective observational study in 1000 hypertensive patients, aged 50-70 years, with no prior history of stroke or dementia, we will study the presence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and the relationship between SCL and cognition. All participants will be assessed by means of the Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2) and will undergo a brain MRI.