Memory in Cerebrovascular Disorders

Abstract

The brain is about 1/50 of the total body weight in an adult, but it uses 1/5 of the resting cardiac output amounting to 1000 ml of blood per minute, extracting from it 500 to 600 ml of oxygen and 75 to 100 mg of glucose each minute. This basal need of the brain remains the same whether the person is asleep, awake, excited, or happy. During exercise, cardiac output increases to increase the blood flow to the muscles, but the brain blood flow remains the same since the brain adjusts its own blood supply under varying conditions of cardiac output. Thus physical exercise, standing on the head, or ingesting a heavy meal have no effect on the overall flow of blood to the brain.