Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a senile brain lesion caused by the abnormal structure and function of arterioles, venules and capillaries in the aging brain. The etiology of CSVD is complex, and disease is often asymptomatic in its early stages. However, as CSVD develops, brain disorders may occur, such as stroke, cognitive dysfunction, dyskinesia and mood disorders, and heart, kidney, eye and systemic disorders. As the population continues to age, the burden of CSVD is increasing. Moreover, there is an urgent need for better screening methods and diagnostic markers for CSVD, in addition to preventive and asymptomatic- and mild-stage treatments. Integrative medicine (IM), which combines the holistic concepts and syndrome differentiations of Chinese medicine with modern medical perspectives, has unique advantages for the prevention and treatment of CSVD. In this review, we summarize the biological markers, ultrasound and imaging features, disease-related genes and risk factors relevant to CSVD diagnosis and screening. Furthermore, we discuss IM-based CSVD prevention and treatment strategies to stimulate further research in this field.
Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Brain/pathology* ; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases/pathology* ; Stroke/complications* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/complications* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Non-valvular atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia and a major risk factor for cardioembolic stroke. Small cerebral vascular disease is a syndrome of clinical, cognitive, imaging, and pathological manifestations caused by intracranial small vascular lesions. The imaging findings on cranial magnetic resonance usually shows recent subcortical small infarction, vascularised lacunae, white matter hypersignal, perivascular space enlargement, cerebral microhemorrhage, and brain atrophy. It is a major cause of neurological loss and cognitive function decline in the elderly. Current studies suggest that atrial fibrillation may increase the imaging load of cerebral small vessel disease through a series of mechanisms such as microembolization, hypoperfusion, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and lymphoid system dysfunction. The imaging of cerebral small vessel disease with atrial fibrillation has a potential relationship with cognitive function decline and is related to the occurrence and prognosis of stroke, even more has a potential role in suggesting the etiology and secondary prevention strategies of ischemic stroke.
Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation/epidemiology* ; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases/complications* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Stroke/etiology*