Computational analysis of cerebrovascular structures imaged using two-photon microscopy

摘要

Neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s affect millions around the world, and this number is projected toincrease over the years unless a breakthrough is made. There are several theories on the pathogenesis ofneurodegenerative diseases, with the amyloid cascade and tau theory being the most prominent ones. The formationof amyloid plaques and tau tangles collapses capillaries in the brain, thereby inducing hypoxia and destruction ofneurons from loss of nourishment. While we do understand some of the changes that occur in the brain’s vasculatureform the pathogenesis of these diseases, they have not yet been mathematically characterized with precision. Acomputational pipeline is presented here to analyze optically sectioned mice brain sections imaged via two-photonmicroscopy and characterize various vasculature parameters which are known to deteriorate from neurogenerativediseases. Our proposed pipeline aims to quantify various brain vasculature parameters, such as, vessel tortuosity,diameter, volume and length, as well the degree of difference to understand disease pathogenesis with the eventualhope of providing drug intervention to regress or minimize these changes.