Cortical Thickness and Sulcal Depth Analysis in Adults with Hypertension-Related Cerebral Small Vessel Disease at University College Hospital Ibadan

Hypertension-related cerebral small vessel disease is a progressive condition characterised by white matter lesions, lacunar infarcts, and cerebral microbleeds that collectively contribute to cognitive decline, gait disturbance, and depression. Structural neuroimaging with magnetic resonance imaging provides a non-invasive opportunity to assess the neuroanatomical correlates of this condition, including cortical thinning and changes in sulcal morphology. Limited data exist on cortical thickness profiles in Nigerian hypertensive patients, despite the high burden of hypertension in West Africa. This study aims to evaluate cortical thickness and sulcal depth in adults with hypertension-related cerebral small vessel disease compared with normotensive controls at University College Hospital Ibadan, South West Nigeria. Cortical parcellation and sulcal depth analysis will be performed using FreeSurfer software on three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI scans from 60 participants. Group differences will be evaluated using general linear models with age and sex as covariates. The study anticipates identifying frontotemporal and parietal cortical thinning in the hypertension group, providing anatomical correlates of the cognitive deficits observed in these patients and contributing to the development of neuroimaging biomarkers for cerebral small vessel disease in Nigerian adults.

Keywords: cortical thickness, cerebral small vessel disease, hypertension, neuroimaging, University College Hospital Ibadan