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Vestibular effects on cerebral blood flow
Jorge M Serrador1, Todd T Schlegel, F Owen Black
1Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. serrador@hms.harvard.edu
BMC Neuroscience
|September 25, 2009
Summary
The vestibular system, particularly otolith organs, directly influences cerebral blood flow regulation. This effect on brain blood flow is independent of blood pressure and end-tidal CO2 levels.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
Background:
- Humans possess unique adaptations to maintain blood pressure and brain blood flow when upright.
- Cerebral autoregulation is key, but the vestibular system's role in brain blood flow is emerging.
- This study investigates the vestibular system's specific contribution to cerebral blood flow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if vestibular system stimulation, specifically otolith organs, alters cerebral blood flow.
- To elucidate the direct impact of vestibular input on maintaining upright posture blood flow.
Main Methods:
- 25 healthy subjects underwent vestibular stimulation via pitch tilt and centrifuge translation at various frequencies.
- Cerebral blood flow velocity was measured using transcranial Doppler.
- Blood pressure and end-tidal CO2 were monitored concurrently.
Main Results:
- Stimulation of vestibular organs (otoliths) by pitch tilt and translation yielded similar, frequency-dependent changes in cerebral blood flow velocity and blood pressure.
- Changes in cerebral blood flow were inversely related to blood pressure fluctuations.
- Cerebral blood flow regulation was not solely dependent on end-tidal CO2 levels.
Conclusions:
- Vestibular apparatus activation, especially otolith organs, directly impacts cerebral blood flow regulation.
- This vestibular influence on cerebral blood flow is independent of concurrent blood pressure and end-tidal CO2 variations.
- Findings support the hypothesis that the vestibular system plays a direct role in maintaining brain blood flow.
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