What is Neurovascular Coupling?

Healthy Neurovascular Coupling

Neurovascular coupling (NVC) is the connection between brain cells (neurons) and blood vessels (vascular). In a healthy brain, there is a very efficient system that delivers blood to the exact region of the brain that is being used at the time. NVC helps the brain sustain an activity, by providing additional blood to brain cells so they can continue working. For example, while reading, the brain will send additional blood to the visual and language regions of the brain so that there is enough oxygen and nutrients for those neurons to continue doing their job.

Dysregulation in Neurovascular Coupling

Many of the jobs that a brain cell does require it to work steadily over long durations. If it doesn’t receive a steady supply of fresh, oxygenated blood, it will stop working until it is resupplied. When fresh oxygen is not consistently and accurately supplying the brain, it is called dysregulation in neurovascular coupling.

Neurovascular coupling dysregulation is one of the root causes of concussion symptoms. After a head injury, NVC stops working as it should, and many parts of the brain lose the ability to take on the workload that is required of them. We measure dysregulation in NVC through the fNCI. 

Restoring Neurovascular Coupling

To rehabilitate the brain after concussion, brain cells need to be pushed by targeted activities. Without proper NVC, brain cells do not respond well to being pushed. Thus, one focus of EPIC Treatment is to restore proper NVC. This can be done by strategically combining physical and cognitive exercise in a week of intensive therapy.

Physical exercise is important to prepare the brain in a way that conditions the vessels of the brain and regulates systems in the brain that respond to stress, so that brain cells have an opportunity to participate in healthy rehabilitation. Cognitive and motor exercises are done to target the parts of the brain that are experiencing dysregulation in NVC, as determined by the fNCI. By combining these two types of exercise throughout the week, we consistently see that healthy neurovascular coupling is restored. This restoration of healthy NVC reduces concussion symptoms.