Clinical and magnetic resonance observations in cerebral small-vessel disease

The study reported in this thesis tried to address the following questions:
1. Is it possible to detect genetic factors and vascular risk factors that are specifically associated with the development of small- or large-vessel disease?
2. Are the different clinical and MRI manifestations, that are attributed to small-vessel disease, like lacunar infarcts, white matter lesions and intracerebral hemorrhages, mutually related? Do the various results of small-vessel disease occur in one patient? Are there clinical and MRI manifestations of small-vessel disease that have been unnoticed until now?
3. What differences exist in the evolution of early clinical signs and symptoms between cerebral infarcts caused by small- or large-vessel disease?