Review
Neurosciences
Patrick J. Drew
Summary: In the brain, increases in neural activity lead to changes in local blood flow through neurovascular coupling. However, the traditional explanation that increased blood flow supplies the metabolic needs of active neurons is inconsistent with a large body of evidence. Neurovascular coupling is irregular or absent in many brain regions and states, and increased respiration can improve brain oxygenation without changes in blood flow. Simulation studies suggest that low blood flow areas are inevitable due to the brain's vascular architecture and cannot be eliminated by functional hyperemia. This article discusses potential alternative functions of neurovascular coupling such as supplying oxygen for neuromodulator synthesis, regulating brain temperature, signaling to neurons, optimizing cerebral vascular structure, accommodating non-Newtonian blood flow, and driving cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Xiaoshuang Liu, Runtian Cheng, Li Chen, Junwei Gong, Tianyou Luo, Fajin Lv
Summary: Patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) demonstrate abnormal neurovascular coupling at the early stage of the disease and during disease development, which may be associated with disease severity and cognitive impairment.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Federico Scala, Dmitry Kobak, Matteo Bernabucci, Yves Bernaerts, Cathryn Rene Cadwell, Jesus Ramon Castro, Leonard Hartmanis, Xiaolong Jiang, Sophie Laturnus, Elanine Miranda, Shalaka Mulherkar, Zheng Huan Tan, Zizhen Yao, Hongkui Zeng, Rickard Sandberg, Philipp Berens, Andreas S. Tolias
Summary: The study combines single-cell transcriptomic, morphological, and electrophysiological characteristics to classify over 1,300 neurons from the mouse motor cortex, revealing extreme diversity in gene expression, morphology, and electrophysiology. While broad families of transcriptomic types exhibit distinct morpho-electric phenotypes, individual transcriptomic types within the same family show a continuum of variability in morphology and electrophysiology without clear boundaries between them, indicating that neuronal types in the neocortex do not always form discrete entities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam Institoris, Milene Vandal, Govind Peringod, Christy Catalano, Cam Ha Tran, Xinzhu Yu, Frank Visser, Cheryl Breiteneder, Leonardo Molina, Baljit S. Khakh, Minh Dang Nguyen, Roger J. Thompson, Grant R. Gordon
Summary: Functional hyperemia, the process of increasing local cerebral blood flow to meet regional energy demand, is mediated by astrocyte Ca2+ signaling and shows distinct early and late components. Astrocyte Ca2+ plays a fundamental role in amplifying functional hyperemia during sustained neuronal activation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Congping Chen, Zhentao She, Peng Tang, Zhongya Qin, Jufang He, Jianan Y. Qu
Summary: The study presented an approach for imaging neurovascular dynamics in live mouse cortices using multi-contrast mesoscopic and two-photon microscopic imaging, revealing the spatiotemporal correlation between neuronal and vascular responses. The research uncovered significant differences in NVC at regional and microvascular levels, as well as the impact of different brain states on NVC, particularly showing that anesthesia and sedation disrupt NVC.
Article
Biology
Kyle W. W. Gheres, Hayreddin S. S. Unsal, Xu Han, Qingguang Zhang, Kevin L. L. Turner, Nanyin Zhang, Patrick J. J. Drew
Summary: This study found that sensory stimulation in neonatal mice induces a small increase in blood volume, followed by a large decrease. The arousal state of the mice, especially sleep, plays a dominant role in regulating neurovascular coupling, obscuring the sensory-evoked changes. The findings highlight the importance of considering sleep-related vascular changes in hemodynamic measures.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Vanesa Munoz, Manuel Munoz-Caracuel, Brenda Y. Angulo-Ruiz, Carlos M. Gomez
Summary: This study explores the relationship between intensity-dependent amplitude changes (IDAP) and neurovascular coupling using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The results show correlations between auditory intensity and ERP components N1, P2, and N1-P2 peak-to-peak amplitude, as well as oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations. These findings support the potential of fNIRS as a complementary technique to ERPs, enhancing our understanding of its application in auditory paradigms.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
K. Shaw, L. Bell, K. Boyd, D. M. Grijseels, D. Clarke, O. Bonnar, H. S. Crombag, C. N. Hall
Summary: This study compared neurovascular function in awake mice between the hippocampus and cortex, revealing decreased blood flow, blood oxygenation, and neurovascular coupling in the hippocampus due to differences in vascular network and microvascular cell function.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Koji Ando, Lei Tong, Di Peng, Elisa Vazquez-Liebanas, Hirohisa Chiyoda, Liqun He, Jianping Liu, Koichi Kawakami, Naoki Mochizuki, Shigetomo Fukuhara, Jaime Grutzendler, Christer Betsholtz
Summary: Loss- or gain-of-function mutations in ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K-ATP)-encoding genes, KCNJ8 and ABCC9, can cause central nervous system disorders. This study shows that KCNJ8/ABCC9-containing K-ATP channels play a role in the differentiation of brain vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the regulation of cerebral blood flow.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Emad Alyan, Naufal M. Saad, Nidal Kamel, Mohammad Abdul Rahman
Summary: The study found abnormalities in brain activity and blood oxygen levels, as well as reduced connectivity in the prefrontal cortex network in non-ergonomic workstations. Additionally, an increase in salivary alphaamylase activity was observed in all participants at non-ergonomic workstations, confirming the presence of induced stress.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tamas Csipo, Agnes Lipecz, Peter Mukli, Dhay Bahadli, Osamah Abdulhussein, Cameron D. Owens, Stefano Tarantini, Rachel A. Hand, Valeriya Yabluchanska, J. Mikhail Kellawan, Farzaneh Sorond, Judith A. James, Anna Csiszar, Zoltan I. Ungvari, Andriy Yabluchanskiy
Summary: Understanding how the brain allocates resources to meet the demands of active neurons is crucial. NVC, the hemodynamic response to increased metabolic demands of active brain regions, can be an early marker for cognitive impairment. Non-invasive NVC assessments can help detect early signs of cognitive impairment and dementia. Both fNIRS and TCD methods can differentiate NVC responses evoked by higher demand tasks.
Review
Biology
Mitsuhiro Fukuda, Alexander J. Poplawsky, Seong-Gi Kim
Summary: High-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is gaining popularity due to the availability of ultra-high magnetic fields, but the accuracy of detecting the true location of neuronal activity using increased spatial resolutions remains debatable.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Zhao Ruan, Dong Sun, Xiaoli Zhou, Minhua Yu, Sirui Li, Wenbo Sun, Yidan Li, Lei Gao, Haibo Xu
Summary: This study examines the role of neurovascular coupling (NVC) in vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) by investigating the relationship between white matter lesion (WML) burden, NVC, and cognitive deficits. The results show a significant reduction in NVC in SVCI and PSCI groups compared to healthy controls, and reveal notable findings regarding the relationship between NVC, WML burden, and cognitive function in VCI patients. This study highlights the potential of NVC as a tool for understanding VCI neural mechanisms.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Bhadra S. Kumar, Aditi Khot, V. Srinivasa Chakravarthy, S. Pushpavanam
Summary: Neurovascular coupling is a bidirectional system where neurons transmit signals to blood vessels for vasodilation, and vessels feedback available oxygen to fuel neural firing. This feedback mechanism influences the formation of neuronal maps in both normal and pathological conditions such as hypoxia and hypoxia-ischemia.
FRONTIERS IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neuroimaging
Juan He, Wanghuan Dun, Fang Han, Ke Wang, Jing Yang, Shaohui Ma, Ming Zhang, Jixin Liu, Hongjuan Liu
Summary: The study revealed abnormal white matter microstructures along thalamus-related white matter fiber tracts in women with primary dysmenorrhea. Furthermore, the intensity of menstrual pain was significantly associated with diffusion measures of thalamus-SI fiber connections.
BRAIN IMAGING AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Ahmed Haider, Susan Bengs, Angela Portmann, Alexia Rossi, Hazem Ahmed, Dominik Etter, Geoffrey Warnock, Nidaa Mikail, Muriel Gramer, Alexander Meisel, Livio Gisler, Caitlin Jie, Claudia Keller, Sebastian Kozerke, Bruno Weber, Roger Schibli, Linjing Mu, Philipp A. Kaufmann, Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, Simon M. Ametamey, Catherine Gebhard
Summary: This study aimed to assess the impact of female and male sex hormones on myocardial perfusion and coronary flow reserve. The experimental data in mice indicate that testosterone plays a primary role in sex differences in myocardial perfusion.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING
(2022)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Mina Kim, Afroditi Eleftheriou, Luca Ravotto, Bruno Weber, Michal Rivlin, Gil Navon, Martina Capozza, Annasofia Anemone, Dario Livio Longo, Silvio Aime, Moritz Zaiss, Kai Herz, Anagha Deshmane, Tobias Lindig, Benjamin Bender, Xavier Golay
Summary: This article discusses the importance of advanced medical imaging technology in the early detection of cancer, and the sensitivity of dynamic glucose-enhanced MRI in cancer detection. The GLINT consortium is an important international collaboration project aimed at translating this technology into clinical practice.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Loic Duffet, Seher Kosar, Mariangela Panniello, Bianca Viberti, Edward Bracey, Anna D. Zych, Arthur Radoux-Mergault, Xuehan Zhou, Jan Dernic, Luca Ravotto, Yuan-Chen Tsai, Marta Figueiredo, Shiva K. Tyagarajan, Bruno Weber, Miriam Stoeber, Nadine Gogolla, Markus H. Schmidt, Antoine R. Adamantidis, Tommaso Fellin, Denis Burdakov, Tommaso Patriarchi
Summary: This study developed a genetically encoded orexin sensor called OxLight1, which enables sensitive and direct optical detection of orexin neuropeptides in living animals with high spatiotemporal resolution. The sensor was used in mouse experiments to show that orexin release is associated with behaviors such as running, stress, and sleep-to-wake transitions.
Correction
Biochemical Research Methods
Loic Duffet, Seher Kosar, Mariangela Panniello, Bianca Viberti, Edward Bracey, Anna D. Zych, Arthur Radoux-Mergault, Xuehan Zhou, Jan Dernic, Luca Ravotto, Yuan-Chen Tsai, Marta Figueiredo, Shiva K. Tyagarajan, Bruno Weber, Miriam Stoeber, Nadine Gogolla, Markus H. Schmidt, Antoine R. Adamantidis, Tommaso Fellin, Denis Burdakov, Tommaso Patriarchi
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ali-Kemal Aydin, Camille Verdier, Emmanuelle Chaigneau, Serge Charpak
Summary: This study investigates the initial dip in oxygen concentration in a specific neuronal network and finds that it is present in anesthetized mice but absent in awake mice. This finding contradicts previous research.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Nadine Felizitas Binder, Chaim Glueck, William Middleham, Michael Alasoadura, Nikolete Pranculeviciute, Matthias Tasso Wyss, Julien Chuquet, Bruno Weber, Susanne Wegener, Mohamad El Amki
Summary: This study found that different types of spontaneous vasodilation occur after ischemia. Depending on the shape and distribution of vasodilation, the severity of stroke injury and outcome can be predicted. The study also suggests that modulating the hemodynamic response to cortical spreading depolarization (CSD) may be a promising therapeutic strategy.
Article
Cell Biology
Ladina Hosli, Noemi Binini, Kim David Ferrari, Laetitia Thieren, Zoe J. Looser, Marc Zuend, Henri S. Zanker, Stewart Berry, Martin Holub, Wiebke Mobius, Torben Ruhwedel, Klaus-Armin Nave, Christian Giaume, Bruno Weber, Aiman S. Saab
Summary: This study explores the role of astrocytes in modulating neural homeostasis, synaptic plasticity, and memory. By disrupting astrocytic gap junction coupling through knockout experiments, the researchers found that astrocytes play a vital role in maintaining neural excitability, synaptic transmission, and spatial cognition in the adult brain. These findings highlight the importance of astroglial networks in brain function.
Article
Cell Biology
Ladina Hosli, Marc Zuend, Gustav Bredell, Henri S. Zanker, Carlos Eduardo Porto de Oliveira, Aiman S. Saab, Bruno Weber
Summary: This study shows that almost all gray matter astrocytes have direct contact with blood vessels, except for the hippocampus. This indicates that a direct vascular access may serve as an important pathway for metabolite uptake and distribution.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bruno Weber, Franca Schmid
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jillian L. Stobart, Eva Erlebach, Chaim Glueck, Sheng-Fu Huang, Matthew Jp Barrett, Max Li, Sergei A. Vinogradov, Jan Klohs, Yvette Zarb, Annika Keller, Bruno Weber
Summary: This study found that deleting the PDGFB retention motif results in severe pericyte deficiency in the vascular network, leading to reduced cerebral vasodilation capacity and impaired oxygen delivery to the tissue. Pdgfb(ret/ret) mice also showed abnormal blood oxygen extraction, indicating a state of hypoxia. These findings suggest that severe pericyte deficiency can cause vascular abnormalities and altered cerebral blood flow, resembling arteriovenous malformations.
JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Afroditi Eleftheriou, Luca Ravotto, Matthias T. Wyss, Geoffrey Warnock, Anita Siebert, Moritz Zaiss, Bruno Weber
Summary: Glucose is a crucial energy source for the brain, and monitoring its uptake and utilization can provide valuable information about pathological brain function. GlucoCEST and DGE are promising techniques for non-radioactive monitoring of glucose and tumor detection. However, the specific contributions of vascular, extracellular, and intracellular glucose to the DGE signal are still unclear.
Article
Neurosciences
Vyara Todorova, Mia Fee Stauffacher, Luca Ravotto, Sarah Notzli, Duygu Karademir, Lynn J. A. Ebner, Cornelia Imsand, Luca Merolla, Stefanie. M. M. Hauck, Marijana Samardzija, Aiman. S. S. Saab, L. Felipe Barros, Bruno Weber, Christian Grimm
Summary: This study investigates the pathological mechanisms of photoreceptor (PR) degeneration during chronic activation of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). The results show that PR cells have an exceptionally high glycolytic flux and the activation of HIFs slows down the cellular anabolism, leading to the shortening of rod outer segments before cell degeneration.
MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Braxton Phillips, Jenna Clark, Eric Martineau, Ravi L. L. Rungta
Summary: We investigated the mechanisms underlying pericyte Ca2+ signaling in the acute cortical brain slices of mice. Our findings suggest that mid-capillary pericytes exhibit different Ca2+ signaling compared to ensheathing type pericytes. We discovered that Orai channels play a significant role in regulating Ca2+ entry in mid-capillary pericytes, and that store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is required to sustain and amplify intracellular Ca2+ increases. This study provides insights into the regulation of pericyte function and highlights the potential of targeting SOCE for therapeutic intervention in brain-related conditions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Eva Erlebach, Luca Ravotto, Matthias T. Wyss, Jacqueline Condrau, Thomas Troxler, Sergei A. Vinogradov, Bruno Weber
Summary: This article presents a protocol for imaging oxygen distributions in the tissue and vasculature of the cerebral cortex in mice, both under anesthesia and awake. The protocol uses a two-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM) approach with the probe Oxyphor 2P. This minimally invasive method outperforms existing approaches in terms of accuracy, resolution, and imaging depth. For a complete understanding of the protocol, please refer to Esipova et al. (2019).