Proper brain function relays on constant distribution of nutrients and oxygen to active regions. During the course of evolution, different brain organs – such as the cortex, the cerebellum and others – acquired highly specified morphologies with exquisitely different neuronal and glial networks. Despite these differences, increase in neuronal network activity results in a localized vascular response. The differences in the sign and amplitude of the vascular response, the triggering physiological factor as well as the key cellular players in this interface have sparked a vivid debate in the literature. We seek to understand the nature of this interface while carefully quantifying its structure and function, both at the system and micro-circuit levels.
