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Nature 443, 642-643 (12 October 2006) | doi:10.1038/443642a; Published online 11 October 2006

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Neuroscience: Controlled capillaries

Brian A. MacVicar1 & Michael W. Salter2

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The finest scale of blood flow through the brain occurs in capillaries. Suspicions that capillary flow is regulated by cells that put the squeeze on these vessels are now borne out by detailed experiments.

The control of brain blood flow poses an intriguing 'plumbing' problem. On the one hand, high overall flows are required to maintain healthy brain function, because in humans the brain accounts for 20% of the body's energy consumption even though it forms only 5% of the total weight.

  1. Brian A. MacVicar is in the Brain Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2B5, Canada.
    Email: bmacvica@interchange.ubc.ca
  2. Michael W. Salter is in the Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada.
    Email: mike.salter@utoronto.ca

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