Researchers discovered waves of blood flow across the mouse brain cortex, which could help mix brain fluids and remove waste, potentially protecting against diseases like Alzheimer’s. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
An NIH-funded study challenges conventional wisdom by revealing that blood flow creates waves across the surface of the mouse brain. For the first time, researchers have mapped the entire network of blood vessels in the cortex of conscious mice, discovering rhythmic expansions and contractions of these vessels that create “waves” across the brain’s surface. Supported by the, this study enhances our knowledge of blood delivery to the brain, although the purpose of these waves is still a mystery.
A network of elastic and actively pumping vessels carrying oxygenated blood spans the surface of the brain before entering the cortex. There, they feed into a second network of capillaries that supply oxygen deeper into the tissue. Using physics-based experimental methods and analyses, the researchers saw that in addition to the pulses of blood flow that occur with each heartbeat, there are slower waves of blood flow changes that sweep across the brain and occur about once every ten seconds.
Reference: “Long-wavelength traveling waves of vasomotion modulate the perfusion of cortex” by Thomas Broggini, Jacob Duckworth, Xiang Ji, Rui Liu, Xinyue Xia, Philipp Mächler, Iftach Shaked, Leon Paul Munting, Satish Iyengar, Michael Kotlikoff, Susanne J.
Technology Technology Latest News, Technology Technology Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: SciTechDaily1 - 🏆 84. / 68 Read more »