‘Breakthrough’ brain development helps fight against dementia, brain disease and strokes

An important development in the examination of blood vessels in the brain has been made by researchers from the University of Surrey and the Federal University of Sao Paulo.

A study published in the journal of Anatomy has shown how blood vessels can be examined using 3D image analysis (Stereology) procedures. The study will hopefully give scientist s a clearer understanding of how dementia, brain cancer and strokes can affect veins and capillaries in the brain.

The researchers used experimental animal models to examine and quantify blood vessels, allows scientists to study how diseases develop in the brain. Examining blood vessels will potentially show warning signs of illnesses before symptoms appear. The next step will be to translate the findings into humans and help reduce the number of deaths from dementia, brain cancer and strokes.  

The technique involved the dissolving of China Ink with gelatin, creating a solution which makes blood vessels more visible with the use of a confocal microscope. This allows scientists and pathologists to make an accurate reading of the length, surface area and number of blood vessels and create 3D images to help identify changes in their shape and size. These changes are key indicators of circulation-related diseases in the brain.

The procedure can also be used in post mortems and biopsies examinations of animal and human tissue. This can make it easier for pathologists to determine causes of death.

Co-author of the study Dr Augusto Coppi from the University of Surrey said: “The brain is a fascinating organ but our full understanding of its circulation is lacking. Previously we have been unable to fully sample and perform a quantification of the circulation of the brain in 3D as we simply could not see all vessels due to their minute size and sometimes due to their irregular spatial distribution.

“This new technique will allow us to sample, image and count blood vessels in 3D giving us a greater mechanistic comprehension of how the circulation of the brain works and how brain diseases such as dementia and stroke affect this organ. With an estimated 850,000 people diagnosed with dementia in England, this technique marks a significant breakthrough in the fight against this disease.”