Racial differences in white matter hyperintensity load in aging, MCI, and AD

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), often measured using white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) is a pathological change to the brain that increases ones’ risk for both age‐related cognitive decline and dementia. Several studies have noted that there is greater risk of CSVD in African Americans than in Caucasians. However, limited research has examined WMHs as a proxy of CSVD in an ethnically diverse sample. The goal of this research was to determine whether WMH load differs between African Americans and Caucasians.