Cerebrovascular tone

Cerebrovascular tone refers to the degree of constriction or relaxation in the cerebral blood vessels, which determines cerebral blood flow and is regulated by an integrated network of intrinsic factors (vascular smooth muscle contractility, myogenic response, endothelial factors like nitric oxide and endothelin, and astrocyte signaling) and extrinsic factors (autonomic innervation, circulating hormones such as angiotensin II)[1][3][7][8][9]. Disorders of cerebrovascular tone are implicated in multiple brain pathologies, including stroke, migraine, and neurodegenerative diseases[4][6][8]. While many different molecular targets modulate cerebrovascular tone (e.g., ion channels, G protein–coupled receptors, enzymes), “cerebrovascular tone” itself is not a discrete molecular target but a global functional outcome reflecting the balance of these mechanisms.

Other names

Cerebrovascular constrictionCerebral vascular toneCVTVascular tone of cerebral vessels