Periventricular white matter lesion

Major causes of periventricular white matter lesions include normal changes from aging (then they are called UBO's, for “unidentified bright objects), small strokes, and disorders related to multiple sclerosis (MS). PWM are also correlated with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) deficiency. The phrase “normal changes from aging” is really a synonym for “we don't know”.

Getting older: Age is certainly the single most common association of PWM. This is presumably a “wear and tear” phenomenon. You get older, and there is more water under the bridge. More fluctuations in blood pressure, more chance for small blood vessels to close, more chance of head injury, more chance for little emboli.

Nevertheless, while clinicians often suggest that changes in the brain that are similar to others of the same age are not important, and call them “incidental”, data suggests that even a few of these PWM reduce cognitive performance.