LAUSR

Key Points Question What is the association of small vessel cerebrovascular disease, operationalized as white matter hyperintensities (WMH), with cortical thinning in a racially and ethnically diverse population of older adults? Findings In this cohort study of 303 older adults, increased parietal WMH volume was associated with left entorhinal cortex thinning over 4 years, while both total and parietal WMH were associated with frontal and parietal cortical thinning; cortical thinning, in turn, was associated with worse memory. The association between WMH and cortical thinning was strongest among Black participants. Meaning In this study, WMH were associated with cortical thinning in older adults, particularly non-Hispanic Black participants, in a pattern similar to the neurodegeneration in early stages of Alzheimer disease.