Glial and neuronal control of brain blood flow.
Blood flow in the brain is regulated by neurons and astrocytes. Knowledge of how these cells control blood flow is crucial for understanding how neural computation is powered, for interpreting functional imaging scans of brains, and for developing treatments for neurological disorders. It is now recognized that neurotransmitter-mediated signalling has a key role in regulating cerebral blood flow, that much of this control is mediated by astrocytes, that oxygen modulates blood flow regulation, and that blood flow may be controlled by capillaries as well as by arterioles. These conceptual shifts in our understanding of cerebral blood flow control have important implications for the development of new therapeutic approaches.
Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. d.attwell@ucl.ac.uk
David
D
Attwell
Alastair M
AM
Buchan
Serge
S
Charpak
Martin
M
Lauritzen
Brian A
BA
Macvicar
Eric A
EA
Newman
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010100:Oxygen