Late radiation-induced brain injury is associated with functional cerebrovascular impairment without structural vessel loss in mice

In C57BL/6 mice one year after 12 Gy whole-brain irradiation, pial flow velocity and flow area are reduced by LSCI despite preserved bulk cortical perfusion and no capillary rarefaction.

• Why it matters: Radiation-induced brain injury is common and often irreversible, but it is unclear whether chronic resting hypoperfusion can occur without structural vessel loss.
• What they did: Adult C57BL/6 mice received 12 Gy whole-brain irradiation and were evaluated one year later with laser speckle contrast imaging, 7T MRI, immunohistochemistry, and behavioral testing.
• The result: The study links pial hypoperfusion with cerebral atrophy, MRI signs of chronic microhemorrhage, and blood-brain barrier disruption (reduced ZO-1 and VE-cadherin) while preserving capillary density, pericyte coverage, astrocyte endfeet, and NeuN-positive neuronal nuclei.

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