Optical micro-angiography images structural and functional cerebral blood perfusion in mice with cranium left intact.

Alteration in regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) is the direct result of changes in neuronal activity. It is crucial to monitor the spatio-temporal characteristics of cerebro-vascular blood perfusion in the studies of cerebral diseases. Optical micro-angiography (OMAG) is a recently developed imaging technique capable of resolving 3D distribution of dynamic blood perfusion at a capillary level resolution within microcirculatory beds in vivo. The authors report the applications of OMAG in mouse ischemic stroke model. The study demonstrates that OMAG is a useful method capable of providing in vivo serial assessment of 3D cerebro-vascular pathophysiology with high sensitivity, and therefore, has the potential for use in the study of brain disorders and repairs.