International Perivascular Spaces Meta-analysis Collaboration

The International Perivascular Spaces Meta-analysis Project: A global study of the disease responsible for almost half of all dementias and a large proportion of stroke cases, funded by the Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation.

About the Project

We are investigating the prognostic value of perivascular spaces (PVS) in Alzheimer's disease, vascular, and mixed dementias, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Using diverse and well-characterised cohorts from Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America, we aim to understand how PVS relates to neurodegenerative and small vessel disease pathologies through advanced imaging and fluid markers.

Our goal is to determine the independent predictive value of PVS and its role in vascular lesion progression, cognitive decline, white matter integrity, and brain fluid drainage.

Aims

Establish the diagnostic and prognostic value of PVS in patient cohorts with Alzheimer’s (AD), vascular, mixed dementias, other neurodegenerative diseases, using large, geographically diverse, extensively phenotyped prospective cohorts, with collaborators from Europe, Asia Pacific countries, North America and beyond

Evaluate PVS in the context of:

neurodegenerative pathologies including imaging (MRI/PET) and fluid (CSF, plasma) markers; including ATN AD classification
SVD pathologies (MRI markers)

Determine pathophysiological PVS implications, in particular in relation to:

vascular lesion progression and cognitive decline
possible impact of PVS on commonly-used white matter structural integrity MRI measures (diffusion-tensor imaging)
involvement of PVS in brain interstitial fluid and lymphatic drainage.