No abstract

The exploration of human brain function has always been a research hotspot in the field of neuroscience. The concept of a neurovascular unit suggests that cerebral microcirculation can be used as a reliable signal to reflect neural function.Accordingly, functional imaging techniques based on the neurovascular unit are very promising because of their ability to reveal neurovascular coupling and evaluate the functional rehabilitation of cerebrovascular diseases represented by stroke. In the present review, we first describe the role of the neurovascular unit in the injury and repair processes after stroke. We then briefly introduce the relative characteristics and advantages of representative neurovascular unit-based functional imaging. Finally, we summarized the value of these techniques in the evaluation of neural networks after stroke.