The complexity of cerebral blood flow regulation: the interaction of posture and vasomotor reactivity

Arterial carbon dioxide ([Formula: see text]) and posture influence the middle (MCAv) and posterior (PCAv) cerebral artery blood velocities, but there is paucity of data about their interaction and need for an integrated model of their effects, including dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA). In 22 participants (11 males, age 30.2 ± 14.3 yr), blood pressure (BP, Finometer), dominant MCAv and nondominant PCAv (transcranial Doppler ultrasound), end-tidal CO₂ (EtCO₂, capnography), and heart rate (HR, ECG) were recorded continuously. Two recordings (R) were taken when the participant was supine (R1, R2), two taken when the participant was sitting (R3, R4), and two taken when the participant was standing (R5, R6). R1, R3, and R5 consisted of 3 min of 5% CO₂ through a mask and R2, R4, and R6 consisted of 3 min of paced hyperventilation. The effects of [Formula: see text] were expressed with a logistic curve model (LCM) for each parameter. dCA was expressed by the autoregulation index (ARI), derived by transfer function analysis. Standing shifted LCM to the left for MCAv (P < 0.001), PCAv (P < 0.001), BP (P = 0.03), and ARI (P = 0.001); downward for MCAv and PCAv (both P < 0.001), and upward for HR (P < 0.001). For BP, LCM was shifted downward by sitting and standing (P = 0.024). For ARI, the hypercapnic range of LCM was shifted upward during standing (P < 0.001). A more complete mapping of the combined effects of posture and arterial CO₂ on the cerebral circulation and peripheral variables can be obtained with the LCM over a broad physiological range of EtCO₂ values.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Data from supine, sitting, and standing postures were measured. Modeling the data with logistic curves to express the effects of CO₂ reactivity on middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv), posterior cerebral artery blood velocity (PCAv), heart rate, blood pressure (BP), and the autoregulation index (ARI), provided a more comprehensive approach to study the interaction of arterial CO₂ with posture than in previous studies. Above all, shifts of the logistic curve model with changes in posture have shown interactions with [Formula: see text] that have not been previously demonstrated.