Network-driven anomalous transport is a fundamental component of brain microvascular dysfunction

Florian Goirand, Tanguy Le Borgne () and Sylvie Lorthois ()
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Florian Goirand: Géosciences Rennes
Tanguy Le Borgne: Géosciences Rennes
Sylvie Lorthois: University of Toulouse

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-27534-8

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27534-8

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