Grant: Operating Grant

There has been a revolution in our understanding of the regulation of both brain function and cerebral blood flow. Over the past 10 years it is clear that astrocytes, the support cell of the brain that outnumber neurons, can modify neuronal activity and directly alter blood flow through cerebral blood vessels. The maintenance of cerebral blood flow at levels to match the metabolic demands of the brain is critical for a healthy brain. Inappropriate decreases in cerebral blood flow can lead to dementia and in severe cases neuronal damage. Work from the previous grant has shown the mechanisms by which astrocytes modulate cerebral blood vessels. Under conditions of increased metabolic demand and lower oxygen astrocytes causes arteriole dilations. In contrast when brain tissue is well oxygenated constrictions are triggered. The work in this grant will investigate the mechanisms in addition to metabolism that control whether astrocytes cause constrictions or dilations. Understanding these mechanisms may provide therapeutic avenues to prevent pathological changes in cerebral blood flow.