A 3D-1D-0D Multiscale Model of the Neuro-Glial-Vascular Unit for Synaptic and Vascular Dynamics in the Dorsal Vagal Complex
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Regulation of cerebral blood flow is crucial for brain function. Quite often its disruption is caused by various neurological disorders. Many existing models from the literature do not fully consider complex multiscale interactions among neuronal activity and vascular dynamics. In this talk, we present a new 3D-1D-0D coupled model for the neuro-glial-vascular unit in the dorsal vagal complex. Thereby, a 3D-1D coupled model is used to simulate flows in a small microvascular network and surrounding tissue located in the dorsal vagal complex. To obtain input data for the microvascular network, the 3D-1D model and a 1D-0D model for hemodynamics in the large systemic arteries are coupled by a simplified model for the vasculature at the mesoscale. All in all, this results in a 3D-1D-0D coupled model incorporating all the major scales in the arterial vascular tree. Neuronal activity is incorporated into the model by an ODE system (0D model) of the quadripartite synapse that captures the dynamics between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, astrocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, neuronal spiking, astrocytic calcium, and gliotransmitter signaling with regulation of vascular tone. The performance of our computational model is demonstrated by comparing our simulation results with data from the literature and sensitivity tests.
