Passive leg raising modulates low-frequency oscillation propagation in peripheral atherosclerosis: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) in peripheral tissues may indicate underlying physiological processes.
• Peripheral arteriosclerosis disease (PAD) affects blood flow and tissue health, potentially altering these oscillations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how physiological processes influence peripheral LFOs.
• To compare LFO characteristics between healthy subjects and PAD patients.
• To explore differences based on PAD severity and laterality.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous measurement of LFOs at multiple peripheral sites (earlobes, fingertips, toes) in 14 PAD patients and 25 healthy controls.
• Analysis of LFO coherence and phase shifts during resting and passive leg raising (PLR) states.
• Comparison of LFO patterns across different PAD severities and affected limbs.

Main Results:

• PAD patients exhibited significantly lower coherence and higher phase shifts than healthy controls in a resting state.
• LFO coherence decreased and phase shifts increased with PAD severity.
• Distinct patterns of 0.05 Hz PLR LFOs were observed across peripheral sites, varying with PAD status and laterality.

Conclusions:

• Coherence and phase shift of peripheral LFOs differ significantly between healthy individuals and PAD patients.
• LFO analysis shows potential for non-invasively assessing physiological changes associated with peripheral atherosclerosis.
• Peripheral LFOs may serve as a novel biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring PAD.