What is functional hyperemia?

Based on the energy demand of neighbouring neural tissue, cerebral circulation can be regionally altered. Аunctional hyperemia is defined as the temporal and spatial organisation of increased blood flow to CNS tissue in reaction to the activity of neurons. For efficient delivery of blood substances like oxygen and glucose to the regions of the brain that are metabolically active, local groups of the association of neurons and astrocytes signal to smooth muscle cells (SMC) or pericytes and vascular ECs to modify vascular tone. Even though neurons have the ability to contact and signal to the vasculature directly, astrocytes work as a relay organ amongst neurons and EC.