084 – Interview: Understanding White Matter Changes in the Aging Brain

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with neurologist Fanny Elahi, MD PhD, about cerebral small vessel disease and other issues related to white matter changes in the brain. Dr. Elahi sees patients and conducts research at UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center, and is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at UCSF. They discuss:

What is the white matter in the brain, and why it often changes or is damaged with aging
The relationship between white matter changes and cerebral small vessel disease
How white matter changes can be thought of as a form of “scarring” in brain
Why these brain changes can affect memory, thinking, and/or falls
What we know about the prevention and treatment of these changes
How white matter changes relate to vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s and other causes of dementia
How the UCSF Memory and Aging Center evaluates white matter changes
What is vascular parkinsonism
What to consider for younger people with white matter changes on MRI
Her recommendations on maintaining the brain and its blood vessels
Ongoing research projects at UCSF and elsewhere that listeners may be able to participate in