Using a new brain scan to uncover clues about stroke

Non-invasive characterisation of perivascular function and blood brain barrier permeability to water in small vessel disease: A translational MRI study (Miss Phoebe Evans)

During a stroke, blood stops flowing to part of the brain due to a blockage or tear in a blood vessel. Many strokes are caused by a condition known as small vessel disease. Small vessel disease develops as a result of subtle and distinct changes in the brain that occur over several years. We don’t yet know enough about these processes. Two key changes that are thought to be important in small vessel disease are how ‘leaky’ the brain’s blood vessels are, and the movement of fluid in special structures around these blood vessels. It has been very difficult to measure these changes in the brain, which has hampered our understanding of small vessel disease. However, that is set to change with a new MRI brain scanning technique developed by this team. With BHF funding they will now use this technique to study these changes in the brain’s blood vessels in mice. By understanding changes in the brain’s circulation during the early stages of small vessel disease, researchers can begin to design and test treatments to slow or halt them. Hopefully this will lead to a new way to prevent the disability and deaths caused by strokes.