Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jan 7:4:100157.
doi: 10.1016/j.cccb.2023.100157. eCollection 2023.

On the regional distribution of cerebral microvascular 'raspberries' and their association with cerebral atherosclerosis and acute circulatory failure

Henric Ek Olofsson  1 , Mattias Haglund  1 , Elisabet Englund  1
Affiliations

On the regional distribution of cerebral microvascular 'raspberries' and their association with cerebral atherosclerosis and acute circulatory failure

Henric Ek Olofsson et al. Cereb Circ Cogn Behav. .

Abstract

Introduction: In this follow-up study, cerebral microvascular formations termed 'raspberries' were quantified according to cerebral atherosclerosis (C-ASCL) and acute circulatory failure (ACF). We also examined the regional distribution of raspberries throughout the brain.

Materials and methods: The study population consisted of adult individuals who had undergone a diagnostic neuropathological autopsy. Groups were formed to examine the association between raspberries, C-ASCL and ACF (control group, C-ASCL group, C-ASCL+ACF group [n = 47 per group] and a combined C-ASCL-tot group [n = 94]). To examine the regional distribution, additional groups were formed based on previously known raspberry densities of the frontal cortex (high-, medium- and low-density group [n = 6 per group]). Raspberries were quantified on scanned haematoxylin-eosin-stained sections.

Results: Cortical raspberry density did not differ at a statistically significant level between the control group, the C-ASCL group and the C-ASCL+ACF group (P = 0.10) but did so between the control group and the C-ASCL-tot group (P = 0.033). The total raspberry density of the high-, medium- and low-density groups differed at a statistically significant level (P = 0.005), which remained in group-to-group comparisons of the high- and medium-density groups (P = 0.015) and the high- and low-density groups (P = 0.002). Raspberries were rare in cerebral white matter and in the cerebellum.

Conclusion: An association between raspberry density and C-ASCL is supported but is weaker than previously indicated. An association with ACF is not indicated. The raspberry density of the frontal cortex provides an approximation of the brain's total raspberry density.

Keywords: ACF, acute circulatory failure; Arteriosclerosis; C-ASCL, cerebral atherosclerosis; Cerebral ischemia; Cerebrovascular disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
Two raspberries, measuring 30 μm in diameter (A) and 70 μm in diameter (B).
Fig 2
Fig. 2
Raspberry density (raspberries/cm²) of the control group, the C-ASCL group and the C-ASCL+ACF group (n = 47 per group). C-ASCL = cerebral atherosclerosis. ACF = acute circulatory failure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Ek Olofsson H., Englund E. A cortical microvascular structure in vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration and nondemented controls: a sign of angiogenesis due to brain ischaemia? Neuropathol. Appl. Neurobiol. 2019;45(6):557–569. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ek Olofsson H., Haglund M., Englund E. Are cortical microvascular raspberries caused by cerebral hypoperfusion? An exploratory pathological study. Cereb. Circ. Cogn. Behav. 2021;2 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Attwell D., Mishra A., Hall C.N., O'Farrell F.M., Dalkara T. What is a pericyte? J. Cereb. Blood Flow Metab. Off. J. Int. Soc. Cereb. Blood Flow Metab. 2016;36(2):451–455. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Burlakoti A., Kumaratilake J., Taylor J., Massy-Westropp N., Henneberg M. The cerebral basal arterial network: morphometry of inflow and outflow components. J. Anat. 2017;230(6):833–841. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hartmann P., Ramseier A., Gudat F., Mihatsch M.J., Polasek W. [Normal weight of the brain in adults in relation to age, sex, body height and weight] Pathologe. 1994;15(3):165–170. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources