Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Its Associations with Cognitive Impairment, Gait Disturbance, and Europsychiatric Symptoms: A Narrative Review.
- 1Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
- 2Department of Acupuncture, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, People's Republic of China.
- 3Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China.
Abstract
Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) encompasses a heterogeneous group of pathological processes affecting the small arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and venules of the brain. Beyond its well-recognized role in lacunar stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, CSVD is increasingly understood as a major contributor to cognitive decline, gait impairment, and mood disturbances in older adults. These non-stroke manifestations often coexist and share common pathophysiological substrates, including endothelial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier disruption, chronic hypoperfusion, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of structural and functional brain networks. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the epidemiology, neuroimaging markers, and pathophysiological mechanisms of CSVD, with particular attention to its associations with cognitive impairment (predominantly executive dysfunction and slowed processing speed), gait abnormalities (reduced walking speed, increased stride variability, and elevated fall risk), and europsychiatric symptoms (vascular depression, apathy, and anxiety). The interactive relationships among these clinical phenotypes and the amplifying effects of comorbidities such as diabetes are also discussed. Finally, we review existing intervention strategies, particularly blood pressure control, and highlight emerging therapeutic targets and unresolved questions that warrant further investigation.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026cerebral,
title = {{Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Its Associations with Cognitive Impairment, Gait Disturbance, and Europsychiatric Symptoms: A Narrative Review.}},
author = {Shilin Wang and Jiamin Zhu and Jiali Sun and Guanping Liu},
journal = {International journal of general medicine},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.2147/ijgm.s651981},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999661},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Its Associations with Cognitive Impairment, Gait Disturbance, and Europsychiatric Symptoms: A Narrative Review.
AU - Shilin Wang
AU - Jiamin Zhu
AU - Jiali Sun
AU - Guanping Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - International journal of general medicine
DO - 10.2147/ijgm.s651981
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999661
AB - Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) encompasses a heterogeneous group of pathological processes affecting the small arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and venules of the brain. Beyond its well-recognized role in lacunar stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, CSVD is increasingly understood as a major contributor to cognitive decline, gait impairment, and mood disturbances in older adults. These non-stroke manifestations often coexist and share common pathophysiological substrates, including endothelial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier disruption, chronic hypoperfusion, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of structural and functional brain networks. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the epidemiology, neuroimaging markers, and pathophysiological mechanisms of CSVD, with particular attention to its associations with cognitive impairment (predominantly executive dysfunction and slowed processing speed), gait abnormalities (reduced walking speed, increased stride variability, and elevated fall risk), and europsychiatric symptoms (vascular depression, apathy, and anxiety). The interactive relationships among these clinical phenotypes and the amplifying effects of comorbidities such as diabetes are also discussed. Finally, we review existing intervention strategies, particularly blood pressure control, and highlight emerging therapeutic targets and unresolved questions that warrant further investigation.
SN - 1178-7074
ER -