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Maintenance of pig brain function under extracorporeal pulsatile circulatory control (EPCC)
Muhammed Shariff1,2, Aksharkumar Dobariya2, Obada Albaghdadi1
1The Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA.
Scientific Reports
|August 25, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed extracorporeal pulsatile circulatory control (EPCC) to regulate brain blood flow independently of the body. This method preserves neural activity and brain health for advanced neurological studies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
- Medical Engineering
Background:
- Isolating brain studies from systemic influences requires selective cerebral vascular access.
- Current artificial cerebral circulation control methods can disrupt pulsatility-dependent signaling and neural network activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To mechanically render cerebral hemodynamics fully regulable.
- To replicate or modify native pig brain perfusion for isolated neural studies.
Main Methods:
- Surgically separating head blood flow from systemic circulation.
- Implementing extracorporeal pulsatile circulatory control (EPCC) via modified aorta or brachiocephalic artery.
- Utilizing a computerized algorithm to maintain native blood pressure, flow, and pulsatility for several hours.
Main Results:
- EPCC maintained near-native cerebral blood flow parameters.
- Continuous electrocorticography and depth electrode recordings showed unaltered or minimally perturbed brain activity.
- Cerebral oxygenation, pressure, temperature, and microscopic structure remained stable.
Conclusions:
- EPCC enables independent study of neural activity and cerebral circulatory manipulation.
- This technique isolates brain function from somatic influences, advancing neurological research.
- The method preserves brain physiological integrity for extended experimental periods.
