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Assessing Cerebral Autoregulation via Oscillatory Lower Body Negative Pressure and Projection Pursuit Regression
Published on: December 10, 2014
Asymmetric insular function predicts positional blood pressure in nondemented elderly
Donald Royall1, Jia-Hong Gao, Xia Zhao
1Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., Mail code: 7792, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA. royall@uthscsa.edu
Summary
Many older adults risk autonomic dysfunction due to brain changes. Lower right insular blood flow in some elderly individuals correlated with blood pressure drops, suggesting a potential cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Forty percent of nondemented elderly individuals exhibit Braak stages indicating insular involvement.
- This insular involvement may predispose them to age-related autonomic dysfunction.
- Autonomic dysfunction can significantly impact cardiovascular health in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between resting cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the insula and cardiovascular functions.
- To identify potential high-risk subgroups among nondemented elderly individuals based on insular rCBF patterns.
- To explore the link between insular blood flow asymmetry and orthostatic blood pressure regulation.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 29 nondemented elderly subjects with rigorous screening for cardiovascular disease.
- Measured resting cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the left and right insula using neuroimaging techniques.
- Assessed cardiovascular functions, including positional changes in systolic blood pressure.
Main Results:
- Mean insular rCBF was significantly higher on the right compared to the left side.
- A subgroup (35.4%) exhibited left-dominant rCBF, identified as a high-risk group.
- This high-risk group showed significantly lower right insular rCBF and increased drops in systolic blood pressure upon positional changes.
Conclusions:
- Asymmetrical insular blood flow, particularly reduced right-sided flow, is associated with impaired blood pressure regulation in some elderly individuals.
- This finding suggests a potential link between insular dysfunction and autonomic cardiovascular dysregulation in aging.
- Further research is warranted to explore specific causes, such as Alzheimer's disease, and long-term implications.
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Preparation:
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