Investigating neurovascular coupling as an early, reliable biomarker of cerebral endothelial function

Thesis

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a leading cause of stroke and vascular dementia, yet effective early biomarkers for detection and prevention remain limited. While SVD has traditionally been characterised by structural MRI markers, emerging evidence from functional MRI suggests that endothelial dysfunction is central in its pathogenesis. Neurovascular coupling (NVC), which reflects the dynamic relationship between neuronal activity and cerebral blood flow, offers a scalable, non-invasiv...

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Authors: Yang, S

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-vjp7zqxz4
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: circadian rhythm; brain health; functional magnetic resonance imaging; biostatistic; cardiovascular risk; UK biobank; stroke; endothelial function; cerebral small vessel disease; sleep