Comparison of brain vasculature network characteristics between wild type and Alzheimer’s disease mice using topological metrics

There is a strong clinical correlation between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and microvascular disorders. In mouse models of AD, our lab has found blood flow dysfunction in brain capillaries, suggesting the need to study the function of vascular networks at the capillary level. However, the ability to deliver blood flow continuously to all neurons also depends on connections between vessels, requiring that we also characterize the topology of brain vascular networks. Here, we use graph theory and topological metrics to characterize the connectivity of brain capillary networks in AD and control mice.