Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology

Vascular Function in Ageing and Disease Virtual Issue

The 118th Meeting of the British Neuropathology Society has taken place at the Royal College of Physicians, London. This excellent, interactive meeting featured a symposium entitled ‘Small vessel disease’ organised by Professor Colin Smith. This provided a wide ranging series of talks including epidemiology and clinical aspects (Professor David Werring), animal models (Dr Atticus Hainsworth), molecular mechanisms in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (Professor Roxana Carare), vascular contributions to dementia (Dr Scott Miners) and the role of Notch 3 mutations in vascular disease (Professor Anne Joutel). The culmination of the symposium was the presentation of the Alfred Meyer Memorial Lecture by Professor Harry Vinters, entitled ‘The neuropathology of vascular dementia and vascular cognitive impairment’. This fascinating presentation provided a comprehensive overview of this important field of research. This virtual issue presents a series of recent papers published in Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology contributing to understanding of vascular function in ageing and disease.

Microinfarcts in an older population-representative brain donor cohort (MRC CFAS): Prevalence, relation to dementia and mobility, and implications for the evaluation of cerebral Small Vessel Disease
Ince P.G., Minett T., Forster G., Brayne C., Wharton S.B.; and on behalf of the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Neuropathology Study

Association of cortical microinfarcts and cerebral small vessel pathology in the ageing brain
Kövari E., Herrmann F.R., Gold G., Hof P.R., Charidimou A.

Clusterin/Apolipoprotein J immunoreactivity is associated with white matter damage in cerebral small vessel diseases
Craggs L., Taylor J., Slade J.Y., Chen A., Hagel C., Kuhlenbaeumer G., Borjesson-Hanson A., Viitanen M., Kalimo H., Deramecourt V., Oakley A.E., Kalaria R.N.

Synaptic protein levels altered in vascular dementia
Sinclair L.I., Tayler H.M., Love S.

Immunolocalization of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFR-β) and pericytes in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL)
Craggs L.J., Fenwick R., Oakley A.E., Ihara M., Kalaria R.N.

Differential gene expression in multiple neurological, inflammatory and connective tissue pathways in a spontaneous model of human small vessel stroke
Bailey E.L., McBride M.W., Beattie W., McClure J.D., Graham D., Dominiczak A.F., Sudlow C.L., Smith C., Wardlaw J.M.

Ageing causes prominent neurovascular dysfunction associated with loss of astrocytic contacts and gliosis
Duncombe J., Lennen R.J., Jansen M.A., Marshall I., Wardlaw J.M., Horsburgh K.