The056th KARC Colloquium
The056th KARC Colloquium was ended. Thank you for the participation.
| Date&Time | Wednesday May. 18, 2005 15:30~16:30 |
| Place | Conference Room, 3F, Research Building 2, KARC |
| Lecturer | "Neurovascular Coupling in The Brain -A Central Role for Nitric Oxide and Hemoglobin Deoxygenation-" |
| Speaker | Dr. Ute Lindauer (Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Germany) |
| Abstract | Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is widely used to visualize human brain activity. Its powerful potential to generate 3-D activation maps of the working brain noninvasively has made fMRI the predominant neuroscience method to explore human brain function. However, this method does not measure neuronal activity directly. Instead, it is based on the local adaptation of blood flow that occurs in areas of changed neuronal activity. Neurovascular coupling determines the relationship between neuronal activity and fMRI brain maps. Its purpose and mechanism is far from being resolved. Increased neuronal, and thereby metabolic activity of the cerebral cortex during functional activation is accompanied by a transient increase in local cerebral blood flow and by vascular hyperoxygenation. From our data it can be suggested that neurovascular coupling is tight and rapid, possibly serving to protect brain tissue from any period of hypo-oxygenation. Moreover, neurovascular coupling arouses fundamental questions about cerebral blood flow and metabolism: How does the vasculature serve brain function? How do neurons and blood vessels communicate? Only little is known about the mediators of neurovascular coupling. The involvement of the highly diffusible vasodilator bioradical nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of regional cerebral blood flow is widely accepted. Recent findings concerning the characteristics of the changes of cerebral blood oxygenation during functional activation with a specific focus on the role of nitric oxide will be provided. |
| Language | English |
| Admission | Free |
| Organizer | Akitoshi Seiyama Brain Information Group,Kansai Advanced Research Center,National Institute of Information and Communications Technology |