Allometry of the perivascular spaces of the putamen in aging.

The equation of simple allometry was used to study the relative growths of the diameters of the perivascular spaces (PSs), the diameters of the arterial vessels and their wall thicknesses in specimens of the putamen from 24 subjects aged 62 to 90 years. Our findings supported the view that the diameters of the PSs were mainly related to the dimensions of their arteries, especially in the elderly, and that they grew isometrically with arterial diameters. In addition, the diameters of the PSs were basically independent of age.