Aging alters calcium signaling in vascular mural cells and drives remodeling of neurovascular coupling in the awake brain

Brain aging leads to reduced cerebral blood flow and cognitive decline, but how normal aging affects neurovascular coupling (NVC) in the awake brain is unclear. Here, we investigated NVC in relation to calcium changes in vascular mural cells (VMCs) in awake adult and aged mice. We show that NVC responses are reduced and prolonged in the aged brain and that this is more pronounced at the capillary level than in arterioles. However, the overall NVC response, measured as the time integral of vasodilation, is the same in the two age groups. In adult, but not in aged mice, the NVC response correlated with Ca2+ signaling in VMCs, while the overall Ca2+ kinetics were slower in aged than in adult mice. In particular, the rate of Ca2+ transport, and the Ca2+ sensitivity of VMCs were reduced in aged mice, explaining the reduced and prolonged vasodilation. Spontaneous locomotion was less frequent and reduced in aged mice as compared to young adult mice, and this was reflected in the 'slow but prolonged' NVC and vascular Ca2+ responses. Taken together, our data characterize the NVC in the aged, awake brain as slow but prolonged, highlighting the remodeling processes associated with aging.