Front Cover; New Horizons in Neurovascular Coupling: A Bridge Between Brain Circulation and Neural Plasticity; Copyright; Contributors; Contents; Preface; Part I: A Physiological Basis of Neurovascular Coupling; Chapter 1: Neurogenic control of parenchymal arterioles in the cerebral cortex; 1. Introduction; 2. Neurogenic Control of Intracortical rCBF; 2.1. Local Neural Circuits of the Cerebral Cortex; 2.2. Changes in rCBF Induced by the Activity of Cortical Neurons; 2.3. Cholinergic Vasodilation Induced by Afferent Fibers from the Basal Forebrain.

2.3.1. Effect of NBM stimulation on the activity of cortical neurons2.3.2. Properties of cholinergic terminals in the cortex and a possible mechanism of dilation of the penetrating arteriole ... ; 3. Contribution of the Neurogenic Vasodilative System to Neurovascular Coupling; 3.1. Possible Involvement of the Cholinergic Receptor in rCBF; 3.2. Possible Involvement of Afferent Input from NBM; 4. Differences in rCBF Responses Between Different Animal Species; 4.1. NBM Vasodilative System; 4.2. Effect of Noxious Somatic Stimulation; 4.3. Effect of Nonnoxious Somatic Stimulation.

5. Role of Neurogenic Vasodilation: Neuroprotection5.1. Antiischemic Effect of Nicotinic Stimulation in the Hippocampus; 5.2. Stimulation of NBM Induces an Antiischemic Effect in the Cerebral Cortex; 5.3. Stimulation of NBM Increases the Secretion of NGF; 6. The Effect of Aging on the Neural Regulation of rCBF; 6.1. Aging of Neurovascular Coupling; 6.2. Aging of the Cholinergic Vasodilative System of the Basal Forebrain; 7. Conclusion; Acknowledgment; References; Chapter 2: Involvement of astrocytes in neurovascular communication; 1. Introduction; 1.1. Historical Perspectives.

1.2. Technical Advancements2. Astrocytic Calcium Dynamics and Vascular Control; 2.1. Calcium Elevations in Astrocytes; 2.2. Extracellular Changes by Astrocytic Calcium Elevations; 2.3. Astrocyte-Vascular Interactions Observed in Acute Brain Slices; 2.4. Astrocyte-Vascular Interactions Observed with in vivo Experiments; 2.5. Alternative Perspectives to Astrocytic Calcium and Vascular Tone; 3. Metabolic Neurovascular Coupling Mediated by Astrocytes; 4. K+ and Water Redistribution Through Astrocytes; 5. Structural Specialization of Astrocytic Endfeet.

6. Future Perspectives: In Relation to NeuropathologyAcknowledgments; References; Chapter 3: Vascular potassium channels in NVC; 1. Hyperkalemia Can Produce Relaxation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells; 2. A Possible Source of the Extracellular Potassium Ions in End Feet/Vascular Smooth Muscle Space; 3. A Possible Source of the Extracellular Potassium Ions in Vascular Smooth Muscle/Endothelial Cell Space; 4. Other Potassium Channels that Could Critically Contribute to Regulation of Neurovascular Coupling; 5. A Consideration on AA-Mediated, pO2-Sensitive Vasoregulation.