Student Presenter(s): Kelly Borges, Joseph Aabye, Ava Hanlon, Janet Back, Laurence Graziano
Faculty Mentor: Olga V. Savinova
Department: Biomedical Sciences
School/College: College of Osteopathic Medicine, Long Island

Vascular calcification (VC) is a nontraditional cardiovascular disease risk factor associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the general population. While it is known that coronary VC causes reduced myocardial perfusion, abnormal vasomotor response, and impaired compliance, less is known about the effects of VC on cerebral microcirculation. Atherosclerotic calcification in vessels that feed the brain has been associated with cerebrovascular disease in human imaging studies. Specifically, internal carotid artery (ICA) calcification load is significantly associated with white matter lesion volumes and the presence of lacunar infarcts, and aortic arch calcification is associated with the presence of cortical infarcts; both noted independently of ultrasound carotid plaque score (a common clinical assessment). Supporting these findings, studies investigating the distribution pattern of intracranial VC and its association with MRI markers of small vessel disease have found that intracranial VC is common in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease, and the ICA is most frequently affected. These findings suggest VC may play a pathophysiologic role in cerebrovascular disease. This study aims to examine the relationship between calcification in the ICA and the cerebral microvasculature via 3D visualization of vessel wall structures in human cadaveric ICAs, intracranial arteries, and microvasculature using high-resolution micro-computed tomography and histologic evaluation.