Prevalence and clinical relevance of diffusion-weighted imaging lesions: The Rotterdam study.

Asymptomatic DWI lesions in community-dwelling persons are associated with markers of cerebral small vessel disease, reduced microstructural integrity, and worse cognition. Presence of DWI lesions increases the risk of further strokes. Future investigations will have to show whether screening and treating persons with DWI lesions can effectively reduce the burden of stroke.