Effects of head-down tilt on cerebral blood flow in humans and rabbits

Changes in cerebral hemodynamics, during and after head down tilt (HDT), were examined by means of transcranial Doppler technique (TCD) and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in humans, and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in rabbits. Mean cerebral blood flow (CBF) velocity measured by TCD increased during the first 6 h of HDT compared with the pre-HDT value. NIRS experiments demonstrated that brain oxygenation and hemoglobin concentration increased with postural change from upright to supine. These results suggest that exposure to HDT increases CBF during the early phase of HDT in humans. In rabbits anesthetized with alpha chloralose, on the other hand, 45 degrees HDT did not change CBF significantly in the parietal cortex during 1 h after the onset of HDT. The discrepancy may be explained by the difference in species, tilt angle, or the brain region where CBF has been measured.