Investigating spatial variations in dynamic cerebral autoregulation through a computational model of stenosis
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Published on: December 10, 2014
1Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Insights
This study explored how arterial stenosis impacts dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) across different brain regions using a computational model. Preliminary findings suggest dCA impairment may spread spatially, influencing cerebral blood flow regulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) maintains stable cerebral blood flow (CBF) despite blood pressure changes.
- Impaired dCA is linked to conditions like stenosis, a stroke risk factor.
- The spatial independence of dCA impairment across brain regions due to stenosis is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify dCA impairment and CBF patterns in relation to stenosis.
- To explore potential spatial effects of stenosis on dCA across different cerebral vasculature configurations.
- To develop a novel computational stenosis model of the circle of Willis.
Main Methods:
- Developed a novel computational stenosis model incorporating the circle of Willis.
- Simulated varying stenosis fractions within different cerebral vasculature configurations.
- Quantified dCA impairment and analyzed CBF patterns.
Main Results:
- Observed preliminary evidence suggesting interdependence between dCA in different brain regions.
- Identified potential spatial variations in dCA impairment caused by stenosis.
- Demonstrated the utility of the computational model for studying these effects.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first computational exploration of spatial variations in dCA impairment due to arterial stenosis.
- Findings suggest that stenosis-induced dCA impairment may not be localized to a single brain region.
- Further experimental validation is necessary to confirm the spatial dependence of dCA impairment.
Abstract:
Objective. Dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) is a well-established mechanism that acts to maintain cerebral blood flow (CBF) reasonably constant in response to short-term fluctuations in blood pressure. It is known to be impaired in many clinical conditions, including stenosis, which is also a major risk factor for ischaemic stroke. However, it is not yet well understood whether impairment in dCA in one brain region is independent or not on dCA impairment in other brain regions, for example, whether there are spatial effects of stenosis on dCA. This is due to the complex blood flow environment and the lack of physiological experiments.Approach. We thus establish and apply a novel computational stenosis model including the circle of Willis to investigate and to quantify the degree of dCA impairment and CBF patterns as a function of stenosis fraction, measured in different configurations of the cerebral vasculature.Main results. We find some evidence for dependence between dCA in different brain regions, although this is very preliminary and much more experimental data will be required to answer this question fully.Significance.Our study has provided a first attempt to consider the effect of stenosis in various arteries on cerebral autoregulation to investigate spatial variations in dCA. This has potential applications in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases where the control of cerebral perfusion is critical but where measurements are scarce.
