Imaging the cerebral vasculature at different scales: translational tools to investigate the neurovascular interfaces

Abstract

The improvements in imaging technology opened up the possibility to investigate the structure and function of cerebral vasculature and the neurovascular unit with unprecedented precision and gaining deep insights not only on the morphology of the vessels, but also regarding their function and regulation related to the cerebral activity. In this review we will dissect the different imaging capabilities regarding the cerebrovascular tree, the neurovascular unit and the hemodynamic response function and thus the vascular-neuronal coupling. We will discuss both clinical and preclinical setting, with a final discussion on the current scenery in cerebrovascular imaging where Magnetic Resonance Imaging and multimodal Microscopy emerge as the most potent and versatile tools respectively in the clinical and preclinical context.