Methods to Utilize Pulse Wave Velocity to Measure Alterations in Cerebral and Cardiovascular Parameters

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cardiovascular Research
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a growing global health concern, impacting millions and linked to cardiovascular issues.
• Understanding cerebrovascular changes in AD is crucial but methods are still developing.
• Arterial stiffness, measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), is a key cardiovascular risk factor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reproducible methods for measuring impedance-based pulse wave velocity (PWV) in both systemic (aortic) and cerebral vasculature.
• To investigate sex-dependent differences in arterial stiffness in Alzheimer's Disease (5XFAD) mouse models under varying dietary conditions.
• To validate cerebrovascular impedance measurement techniques in a stress-induced AD model.

Main Methods:

• Developed and applied impedance-based methods to measure aortic PWV and cerebral PWV.
• Studied 5XFAD mice and wild-type littermates under normal and high-fat diets.
• Validated the cerebrovascular impedance measurement in 5XFAD mice subjected to induced stress.

Main Results:

• Minimal sex and diet-related differences in cerebral impedance were observed in wild-type and 5XFAD mice on standard diets.
• Male 5XFAD mice on a chow diet exhibited higher cerebral impedance compared to wild-type controls, suggesting AD-specific pathology.
• Under stress, female 5XFAD mice showed elevated cerebral impedance, indicating a sex-specific response to acute challenges.

Conclusions:

• The validated impedance-based PWV method provides a comprehensive tool for assessing systemic and cerebral vascular health in AD research.
• Cerebral impedance is minimally affected by sex and diet in non-pathological states but shows differences in AD models.
• Future studies can utilize this method to explore how age, diet, and stress influence cardiovascular risk in Alzheimer's Disease.