Scientists Seek Vascular Dementia Treatment by Studying Blood Flow in the Brain

A study in Nature Communications of astrocyte glial cells determined that they function as sensors that help preserve oxygen and blood flow in the brain, which could hold critical clues in the search for ways to treat vascular dementia, reports Being Patient . The researchers performed experiments on rats to measure the effect of decreased brain blood flow on astrocytes, and learned that impairment in circulation caused the cells to release a chemical signal that ups blood pressure to restore and maintain blood flow and oxygen. "What we have discovered is that the brain has an automatic way to make sure that brain blood flow is preserved," said the University of Auckland's Julian Paton. He suggested this could help find a way to reduce astrocyte activity to lower high blood pressure and restore blood flow to the brain. "Our new data identify astrocytes as brain blood flow sensors that are critically important for setting the level of systemic (arterial) blood pressure and in doing so ensure that the brain receives a sufficient amount of oxygen and nutrients to support the uninterrupted operation of the information processing machinery," declared University College London's Alexander Gourine.