A Way to Measure Failure to Deliver Sufficient Oxygen and Nutrients to the Aging Brain

The aged vasculature is diminished in its ability to deliver blood to tissues via a range of different mechanisms and their consequences. Capillary density is lost, and the heart weakens, for example. This affects the ability to supply nutrients and oxygen to energy hungry tissues such as the brain, and this in turn affects function. The balance of supply and demand in the brain is not a steady state situation, however. It is complex, just like everything else in the body. Researchers here find a way to measure the degree to which this dynamic, complex balance becomes disrupted with age, thereby contributing to dysfunction. A healthy brain requires sufficient supplies of glucose and oxygen to function properly, and any impairment of the vasculature will affect their delivery to the target cells. The brain and cardiovascular system work closely together in a common endeavour to match energy supply to demand. Their intimate relationship is reflected in the concept of the neurovascular unit (NVU), corresponding to consideration of the neurons, astrocytes, microglia, pericytes, endothelial cells, and basement membrane as a single functioning entity. The risk of neurodegenerative disorders increases with age, due to reduced vascular nutrition and impaired neural function. However, the interactions between cardiovascular dynamics and neural activity, and how these interactions evolve in healthy aging, are not well understood. Here, the interactions are studied by as...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs