Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Intravascular Perfusion of Carbon Black Ink Allows Reliable Visualization of Cerebral Vessels
Published on: January 4, 2013
Cerebrovascular Perfusion among Older Adults with and Without Cardiovascular Disease
Bindal Makwana1, Ariana Tart-Zelvin1,2, Xiaomeng Xu1
1Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID.
Insights
Mild cardiovascular disease (CVD) minimally impacts cerebrovascular perfusion in older adults. Sex differences in cerebral blood flow were observed, but patient status did not significantly alter perfusion levels.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects older adults, with cognitive decline linked to cardiovascular and cerebral blood flow.
- Neurovascular mechanisms may protect cerebrovascular perfusion despite cardiovascular health status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in cerebrovascular perfusion between older adults with and without diagnosed CVD.
- To examine if sex differences in cerebral perfusion are replicated in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 20 CVD patients and 39 healthy controls for comprehensive assessment.
- Utilized echocardiogram and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with arterial spin labeling to quantify cerebral blood perfusion.
Main Results:
- Both groups maintained normal left ventricular ejection fractions.
- Women showed significantly higher cerebral perfusion than men.
- No significant differences in whole brain, regional, or white matter perfusion were found based on CVD status, after controlling for sex and age.
Conclusions:
- Mild CVD appears to have minimal effects on cerebrovascular perfusion.
- Further research is needed to understand mechanisms maintaining perfusion in mild CVD and its impact in more severe cases.
Background And Purpose:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses a range of disorders that affect health and functioning in older adults. While cognitive declines have been linked to both cardiovascular and cerebral blood perfusion, protective neurovascular mechanisms raise the question whether cerebrovascular perfusion differs as a function of cardiovascular health status. The present study examined whether cerebrovascular perfusion significantly differs between healthy older adults with and without diagnosed CVD. The study also examined whether previously documented sex differences in cerebral perfusion would be replicated.
Methods:
Twenty CVD patients without significant heart failure and 39 healthy controls were recruited to undergo a comprehensive assessment, including an interview, echocardiogram, and magnetic resonance imaging). Arterial spin labeling was used to quantify cerebral blood perfusion.
Results:
Both groups exhibited mean left ventricular ejection fractions that fell within normal limits. In line with previous research, women exhibited significantly higher cerebral perfusion than men. There were no significant group differences in whole brain cerebrovascular perfusion, regional perfusion, or white matter perfusion by patient status after accounting for sex and age.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that the effects of mild CVD on cerebrovascular perfusion are minimal. Future studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms involved in maintaining cerebrovascular perfusion in the context of altered peripheral perfusion and to determine whether this finding extends to more acute or severe CVD.
More Related Videos
07:30Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
07:18Evaluation of Capillary and Other Vessel Contribution to Macular Perfusion Density Measured with Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: February 18, 2022
