Advanced Ultrasound in Diagnosis and Therapy ›› 2022, Vol. 6 ›› Issue (4): 153-164.doi: 10.37015/AUDT.2022.210033

• Review Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Functional Brain Imaging Based on the Neurovascular Unit for Evaluating Neural Networks after Stroke

Yongyue Zhang, MMa,1, Yang Sun, MMa,1, Li Zhang, MMa, Rongjin Zhang, MMa, Shumin Wang, PhDa,*()   

  1. a Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
  • Received:2021-10-21 Revised:2021-12-14 Accepted:2021-12-28 Online:2022-12-30 Published:2022-10-25
  • Contact: Shumin Wang, PhD, E-mail:shuminwang2014@163.com
  • About author:First author contact:1 Yongyue Zhang and Yang Sun contributed equally to this work.

Abstract:

The exploration of human brain function has always been a research hotspot in the field of neuroscience. The concept of a neurovascular unit suggests that cerebral microcirculation can be used as a reliable signal to reflect neural function. Accordingly, functional imaging techniques based on the neurovascular unit are very promising because of their ability to reveal neurovascular coupling and evaluate the functional rehabilitation of cerebrovascular diseases represented by stroke. In the present review, we first describe the role of the neurovascular unit in the injury and repair processes after stroke. We then briefly introduce the relative characteristics and advantages of representative neurovascular unit-based functional imaging. Finally, we summarized the value of these techniques in the evaluation of neural networks after stroke.

Key words: Neurovascular unit; Functional imaging; Neural network; Stroke