Glymphatic Dysfunction Mediates the Influence of White Matter Hyperintensities on Episodic Memory in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

In this study, we used the diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (ALPS)-index to evaluate glymphatic function and highlighted the reliability of using the ALPS-index in the early recognition of cognitive impairment (CI) in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) patients. We reported that 1) ALPS-index was a sensitive indicator to distinguish mild CI (MCI); 2) ALPS-index was an independent influencing factor of episodic memory in CSVD patients with MCI; 3) ALPS-index mediated the relationship between white matter hyperintensities and episodic memory in CSVD patients with MCI.