The present and future research efforts in cognitive neuroscience and psychophysiology
rely on the measurement, understanding, and interpretation of blood oxygenation level-dependent
(BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to effectively investigate brain
function. Aging and age-associated pathophysiological processes change the structural
and functional integrity of the cerebrovasculature which can significantly alter how
the BOLD signal is recorded and interpreted. In order to gain an improved understanding
of the benefits, drawbacks, and methodological implications for BOLD fMRI in the context
of cognitive neuroscience, it is crucial to understand the cellular and molecular
mechanism of age-related vascular pathologies. This review discusses the multifaceted
effects of aging and the contributions of age-related pathologies on structural and
functional integrity of the cerebral microcirculation as they has been investigated
in animal models of aging, including age-related alterations in neurovascular coupling
responses, cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in microvascular damage, vascular
rarefaction, blood-brain barrier disruption, senescence, humoral deficiencies as they
relate to, and potentially introduce confounding factors in the interpretation of
BOLD fMRI.
