Cerebral microinfarction(CMI)is an extremely small ischemic lesion that can only be found in histopa-thology,and it often occurs in patients with cognitive dysfunction,dementia and stroke.With the improvement in medical imaging technology in recent years,the detection rate of CMI tends to increase gradually.Current studies have shown that the presence of CMI not only affects the prognosis and rehabilitation after stroke,but also increases the incidence rate and risk of cognitive decline.The clinical impact of CMI may be determined by the relatively high number of CMI and its distri-bution in different regions,and therefore,this article reviews the association of the number and distribution of CMI with cognitive impairment and related mechanisms,so as to provide a basis for the in-depth investigation and scientific preven-tion and treatment of CMI.