Brain Perivascular Space Morphometry Reflects Shared Familial Microvascular Architecture and Neuropsychiatric Influences.

BACKGROUND

Brain perivascular spaces (PVS) are emerging magnetic resonance imaging markers of microvascular function and waste metabolite clearance. Although PVS enlargement has been linked to aging and vascular risk, it remains unclear whether PVS morphometry reflects shared familial microvascular characteristics and how these are shaped by individual vascular, physiological, and neuropsychiatric factors. We investigated whether PVS morphometry captures these familial characteristics in addition to individual determinants.

METHODS

We analyzed 1183 participants from the Stratifying Depression and Resilience Longitudinally family-based cohort, including 324 individuals with first-degree relatives. Automated magnetic resonance imaging segmentation quantified PVS volume, count, density, and median length in the centrum semiovale and basal ganglia. Linear mixed-effects models assessed associations with age, hypertension, hair cortisol, depressive symptom scores, and hand grip strength while accounting for familial clustering.

RESULTS

In 1050 individuals (59.5% female; mean age, 59.3±10.1 years), PVS burden increased with age (PVSvolume%ROI, β=0.18 [95% CI, 0.11-0.26]; P<0.0001), current depressive symptoms across both regions (PVS density: centrum semiovale, β=0.092 [0.023-0.16]; P=0.009; BG, β=0.11 [0.043-0.18]; P=0.002; largely robust to false discovery rate correction), and with higher hair cortisol (PVS count β=0.08 [0.003-0.15]; P=0.041; borderline after false discovery rate correction) and weaker grip strength (PVSvolume%ROI β=-0.09 [-0.16 to -0.02]; P=0.013), in the centrum semiovale. Familial clustering was significant for PVS volume (β=0.22 [0.096-0.52]; P=0.013) and median length (β=0.28 [0.16-0.49]; P=0.0003), independent of other factors.

CONCLUSIONS

PVS morphometry reflects shared familial microvascular phenotypes and neuropsychiatric influences beyond hypertension, highlighting both familial and individual determinants of PVS burden and morphology. These findings support PVS morphometry as a neuroimaging marker of cerebral microvascular health.