Objective To study the association between white matter hyperintensities(WMH)and cognitive function in silent lacunar cerebral infarction patients and its risk factors.Methods One hundred and seventy-four silent lacunar cerebral infarction patients were included in this study. They underwent MRI to show the site and severity of their WMH,including degrees 0-3of periventricular WMH in 21,102,39,12patients respectively,and deep WMH in 19,53,86,16patients respectively.Then,their cognitive function scores were compared.Results The degree of WMH was significantly higher and the age was significantly older in silent lacunar cerebral infarction patients(P＜0.05).The situation memory,working memory and Simplified Intelligent State Scale score were significantly different in patients with different degrees of WMH in peripheral brain(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The working memory was significantly different in patients with different degrees of WMH in deep brain(P＜0.05).Degrees 1and 2of periventricular WMH were the independent risk factors for the impaired working memory(β=-0.264,P=0.038;β=-0.325,P=0.011)while degree 3of periventricular WMH was the independent risk factor for the impaired cognitive function(β=-0.273,P=0.014).Conclusion The memory is easy to be impaired in silent lacunar cerebral infarction patients with WMH of aging brain.Periventricular WMH is the major risk factor for cognitive impairment.