EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX AND BLOOD-BRAIN-BARRIER FUNCTION

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a functional characteristic of the ce rebral microvasculature that determines which molecules can travel fro m the bloodstream to the brain parenchyma and vice versa. During the l ast few decades, we have investigated the contribution of vascular ext racellular matrix (ECM) to BBB function. The present review analyzes o ur findings in the light of recent data on age-related brain function alterations and discusses the potential contribution of BBB function i mpairment to the processes that deter-mine these alterations.