MMP9 and Brain atrophy: Combined with the findings of this study, we selected the following variables for inclusion: peripheral inflammation biomarkers, including neutrophils, MMP-9, and IL-18; clinical data, including NIHSS score, previous stroke, and hypertension; neuroimaging variables, including DMTS, DWMH score, brain atrophy, and number of intracranial artery stenoses; demographic variables, including age, sex, and years of education; and cognitive outcome variables, including baseline and 3- to 30-month follow-up MoCA scores, with baseline and follow-up PSCI defined as MoCA scores below 22.