Older adults with reduced cerebrovascular reactivity exhibit high white matter hyperintensity burden

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) deficits may contribute to small vessel disease, such as white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Moreover, apolipoprotein-e4 (APOE4) carriers at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease exhibit cerebrovascular dysfunction relative to non-carriers. We examined whether older adults, and APOE4 carriers specifically, with diminished CVR would exhibit higher WMH burden. Independently living older adults (N = 125, mean age = 69.2 years; SD = 7.6; 31.2% male) free of dementia or clinical stroke underwent brain MRI to quantify cerebral perfusion during CVR to hypercapnia and hypocapnia and determine WMH volume. Adjusting for age, sex and intracranial volume, hierarchical regression analysis revealed a significant association between whole brain CVR to hypercapnia and WMH overall [B = −.02, 95% CI (-.04, −.008), p =.003] and in APOE4 carriers [B = −.03, 95% CI (-.06, −.009), p =.009]. Findings suggest deficits in cerebral vasodilatory capacity are associated with WMH burden in older adults and future studies are warranted to further delineate the effect of APOE4 on precipitating WMH.