Neurovascular Responses to Traumatic Brain Injury

The coordinated action of cells within the neurovascular unit is critical for proper brain functioning. Traumatic brain injury causes cell injury and death, resulting in disruptions of the intricate interactions among the surviving cells. Neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells, and pericytes exhibit specific responses to injury. An examination of these responses is important in understanding the pathology after brain trauma, and will be reviewed in this chapter.