  Atherosclerotic lesions within carotid and cerebral vessels are likely to
influence hemodynamics and manifest into vascular pathologies, including
Alzheimers Disease and ischemic stroke. Hemodynamics are influenced by changes
in luminal diameter of vessels and wall shear stress derived from turbulence,
which directly relates to the surface topography of the lumen. In this study,
we performed a quantitative assessment of surface metrology of carotid and
cerebral arteries in relation to vessel size and location among individuals. We
speculate intracranial vessels will follow suit of extracranial vessels, with
increased surface roughness in larger-diameter vessels. Samples of the internal
carotid, common carotid, and multiple branches of the Circle of Willis were
collected at 18 different sites from 10 human whole body donors. The arterial
surface metrology was analyzed using a Sensofar S Neox 3D optical profiler,
from which ISO 25718-2 areal roughness parameters, texture direction, motifs
analysis, and scale-sensitive fractal analyses were analyzed using SensoMap
software. The most significant differences between individuals, though surface
roughness appears also greater in the larger vessels. In comparison, the side
(left vs. right) is almost immaterial. With further research in this field, the
pathophysiology of intracranial atherosclerosis a the role of atherosclerosis
in neurodegenerative disorders.
