In:
Nature Communications, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 12, No. 1 ( 2021-12-15)
Abstract:
Blood microcirculation supplies neurons with oxygen and nutrients, and contributes to clearing their neurotoxic waste, through a dense capillary network connected to larger tree-like vessels. This complex microvascular architecture results in highly heterogeneous blood flow and travel time distributions, whose origin and consequences on brain pathophysiology are poorly understood. Here, we analyze highly-resolved intracortical blood flow and transport simulations to establish the physical laws governing the macroscopic transport properties in the brain micro-circulation. We show that network-driven anomalous transport leads to the emergence of critical regions, whether hypoxic or with high concentrations of amyloid- β , a waste product centrally involved in Alzheimer’s Disease. We develop a Continuous-Time Random Walk theory capturing these dynamics and predicting that such critical regions appear much earlier than anticipated by current empirical models under mild hypoperfusion. These findings provide a framework for understanding and modelling the impact of microvascular dysfunction in brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2041-1723
DOI:
10.1038/s41467-021-27534-8
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2553671-0
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