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Brain function ultimately depends upon the
cellular generation of energy in the form of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from blood supplied
glucose and oxygen. In our laboratory, we study many
aspects of vascular and metabolic brain physiology
and their relationship to neural,
glial
and
endothelial
cell function in the intact
brain. Our approach is broad and includes the design
and development of new methods, techniques and
instrumentation for the measurement of experimental
variables such as regional cerebral blood flow,
regional cerebral blood volume, capillary density,
capillary recruitment, tissue ion transport, brain
tissue oxygen, cellular energy metabolism and
intracellular pH.
We are directly concerned with
understanding the fundamental physiological
mechanisms which control these variables in vivo. A
detailed appreciation of these mechanisms will allow
us to suggest potential therapeutic strategies to
reverse the permanent neurologic dysfunction that
often leads to death, which accompanies stroke and
epileptic seizures. For this reason, we have
developed animal models of focal stroke and
reversible global
ischemia,
such as occurs after resuscitation from cardiac
arrest.
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