Genetic analyses of diffusion MRI phenotypes: a lifespan exploration of cSVD determinants

Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is a leading cause of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Mounting evidence suggests that early life factors contribute to cSVD. Genetic risk loci for white matter hyperintensities (WMH), the most common MRI‐marker of cSVD in older age, were recently found to show strong associations with white matter microstructure on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) already in young adults in their twenties. Here we aimed to use multi‐shell diffusion imaging to further explore genetic determinants of white matter microstructure across the adult lifespan and its relation with cSVD.