Brain perfusion is tightly coupled to neuronal activity, is commonly used to monitor normal or
pathological brain function, and is a direct reflection of the interactions that occur between …

Cerebral blood flow is controlled by two crucial processes, cerebral autoregulation (CA) and
neurovascular coupling (NVC) or functional hyperemia. Whereas CA ensures constant …

A growing number of studies support an important contribution of astrocytes to
neurovascular coupling, ie, the phenomenon by which variations in neuronal activity trigger …

Normal brain function requires proper supply of oxygen and glucose in a timely and local
manner. This is achieved through an orchestrated intercellular communication between …

Astrocytes send processes to synapses and blood vessels, communicate with other
astrocytes through gap junctions and by release of ATP, and thus are an integral component …

Background The functional modulation of blood flow in the brain is critical for brain health
and is the basis of contrast in functional magnetic resonance imaging. There is evident …

Astrocytes play an important role in the coupling between neuronal activity and brain blood
flow via their capacity to “sense” neuronal activity and transmit that information to …

The brain is critically dependent on a continuous supply of blood to function. Therefore, the
cerebral vasculature is endowed with neurovascular control mechanisms that assure that …

The neurovascular system may be viewed as a distributed nervous system within the brain. It
transforms local neuronal activity into a change in the tone of smooth muscle that lines the …

The control of cerebral blood flow is complex, and only beginning to be elucidated. Studies
have identified three key regulatory paradigms. The first is cerebral pressure autoregulation …