Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is characterized by changes in the pial and parenchymal microcirculations. SVD produces reductions in cerebral blood flow and impaired blood-brain barrier function, which are leading contributors to age-related reductions in brain health. End-organ effects are diverse, resulting in both cognitive and noncognitive deficits. Underlying phenotypes and mechanisms are multifactorial, with no specific treatments at this time. Despite consequences that are already considerable, the impact of SVD is predicted to increase substantially with the growing aging population. In the face of this health challenge, the basic biology, pathogenesis, and determinants of SVD are poorly defined. This review summarizes recent progress and concepts in this area, highlighting key findings and some major unanswered questions. We focus on phenotypes and mechanisms that underlie microvascular aging, the greatest risk factor for cerebrovascular disease and its subsequent effects.

中文翻译：

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衰老对脑小血管疾病的贡献。

脑小血管疾病（SVD）的特点是脑部和实质微循环改变。SVD导致大脑血流量减少和血脑屏障功能受损，这是与年龄相关的大脑健康下降的主要原因。最终器官的影响是多种多样的，导致认知和非认知缺陷。潜在的表型和机制是多因素的，目前尚无特殊治疗方法。尽管后果已经相当可观，但随着人口老龄化的增长，SVD的影响预计会大大增加。面对这一健康挑战，SVD的基本生物学，发病机制和决定因素定义不清。这篇综述总结了该领域的最新进展和概念，重点介绍了主要发现和一些未解决的主要问题。