Perivascular space mediated the interaction between sleep, and brain functional connectivity in the healthy aging population

Perivascular space (PVS) surrounds the perforating arteries or draining veins of the cerebral cortex as part of the brain clearance system. Previous studies showed that sleep affects both brain clearance function and brain functional connectivity (FC). However, the impact of PVS characteristics on brain FC remains unclear. This study investigated these associations and their link to cognition. We utilized cross-sectional structural MRI and resting state-fMRI data from 512 health aging population in the HCP-Aging dataset, together with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire and NIH cognitive tests. Our results showed that basal ganglia (BG)-PVS volume fraction (VF) was positively correlated with FC in the right anterior medial temporal gyrus (aMTG) and right temporal regions, while centrum-semiovale (CSO)-PVS VF was positively correlated with FC in the left hippocampus and right frontal regions. Increased CSO-PVS VF in early middle-aged adults showed higher hippocampal FC and better cognitive performance. Interestingly, individuals with longer time spent in bed had larger BG-PVS VF linked to higher FC in the right aMTG. Additionally, older adults with better sleep quality had larger BG-PVS VF linked to higher FC in the right aMTG. These findings suggest that PVS morphology may reflect changes in neural connections involved in memory-related regions.