About this Research Topic

Background

The neurovascular unit (NVU) describes the functional multicellular structure comprised of the brain’s unique blood vessels, including the blood-brain barrier and their neuronal and glial regulators. This functional unit regulates cerebral perfusion, waste removal and allows the meeting of the parenchyma’s metabolic demands via neurovascular coupling (NVC). Failure at any part of the NVU could lead not only to breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, allowing the free passage of blood borne substances and peripheral immune cells into the brain parenchyma, but also cause disrupted blood flow resulting in catastrophic depletion of oxygenation and energy supply, which the brain does not store. Cerebrovascular impairment is rapidly gaining recognition as a contributor to neurodegenerative conditions. Hence, studying the NVU as a potential biomarker of neurological/cerebrovascular disease and targeting it with therapeutic intent is a novel and promising avenue for neurological treatments, especially in dementia.

The cerebrovasculature has been identified as one of the earliest components to be affected in dementia, yet very little is understood about the natural history of the vascular impairments that lead to neurodegenerative processes. Recent advances in state-of-the-art neuroimaging tools have provided novel understanding about the regulation of NVC and the emerging role of vasomotion in regulating cerebral blood flow. This research topic aims to address the challenges in identifying how changes in the normal functioning of the NVU may be used as a biomarker of disease, allowing further understanding of cerebrovascular regulation, neurodegenerative disease processes and the identification of potential therapeutic targets.

This Research Topic will remain broad in scope addressing the functioning of the neurovascular unit in cerebrovascular diseases in allowing the prediction and natural history of pathology to be determined. We welcome original research, systematic reviews, methods, reviews, mini reviews and brief research reports and cover but are not limited to:

• Vascular dementia biomarkers
• Neuroimaging the functional cerebrovasculature
• Pathology of the NVU in cerebrovascular disease
• Cerebral blood flow regulation and changes in disease

Keywords: neurovascular unit, cerebrovascular disease, biomarkers, biomarker, cerebral blood flow

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