Fig. 1
From: Neurovascular dysfunction in vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s and atherosclerosis
The neurovascular unit and the BBB at a capillary. Cerebral arteries have extensive vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) coverage regulating vasoconstriction. Capillaries on the other hand lack vascular smooth muscle cells, and are instead covered by small pericytes which maintain the integrity of the BBB, as well as regulate their diameter. Cerebral vessels receive inputs from astrocytes by their end-feet to regulate arteriolar diameter, as well as inputs from various interneuron groups