Super-resolution imaging by ultrasound microscopy: extraction of quantitative parameters for the diagnosis of cerebrovascular diseases

Small blood vessels have the ability to constantly adapt both structurally and functionally to ensure and functional levels to ensure an optimal supply of nutrients and oxygen to the cells nutrients and oxygen. These fine adaptations can take from a few milliseconds to several days, and include milliseconds to several days, and include changes in vascular density, local blood flow permeability, etc. Blood capillary dysfunctions are increasingly recognized as the underlying cause of a large majority, if not all, of devastating neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia. One difficulty in diagnosing and treating these diseases is a of the functioning of small vessels. To date, there is no characterization of the vascular network of an organ as complex as the brain. In the present project, we propose to implement an ultrasound technology to visualize, at unprecedented spatio-temporal resolutions, the way how blood capillaries adapt over time in response to a metabolic demand in healthy and pathological subjects. The expected outcomes are expected are new insights into the functions of small vessels, opening up vast perspectives for the diagnosis of cerebrovascular diseases and the development of new therapeutic strategies.