Investigating the Role of Neurovascular Coupling on Brain Function and Health

The brain consumes a disproportionate amount of energy, receiving 20% of the total cardiac output despite accounting for only 2% of the body’s weight. While total cerebral perfusion is homeostatically held constant, the neurovascular network dynamically modulates regional blood flow to deliver more nutrient-rich blood to highly active brain areas. Activity-dependent focal increases in cerebral blood flow, or neurovascular coupling (NVC), ensure that energy delivery is commensurate with neuronal metabolic demands. It is widely thought that neurovascular coupling is critical for normal brain function, as neurons lack energy stores and may require increases in oxygen or glucose delivery from the blood supply to fuel signaling operations that consume high levels of ATP. However, it is unknown which features of neuronal signaling are supported by NVC, if any. We are investigating this important question by using a genetic mouse model with NVC specifically impaired. This study will reveal new insights on how NVC supports normal brain function and health. HHMI, NHLBI NIH This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.