Altered autonomic cardiovascular function in adults with persisting post-concussive symptoms and exercise intolerance

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Neuroscience
• Autonomic Nervous System Function

Background:

• Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can impact autonomic cardiovascular control.
• Limited data exists on autonomic function in adults experiencing persisting post-concussive symptoms (PPCS).
• Understanding these alterations is crucial for managing long-term recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare autonomic cardiovascular function in adults with PPCS versus healthy controls.
• To identify specific differences in heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure (BP), and baroreceptor sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 50 adults with PPCS and 50 age/sex-matched controls with no mTBI history.
• Collected resting HR, HRV, BP, and cardiac baroreceptor sensitivity measures in seated and standing positions.
• Analyzed between-group differences using linear regression.

Main Results:

• Participants with PPCS exhibited significantly lower HRV (RMSSD, SDNN) in the seated position compared to controls.
• Lower SDNN was also observed in the standing position for the PPCS group.
• The PPCS group showed significantly less change in HRV (RMSSD, LF/HF ratio) when transitioning from seated to standing.

Conclusions:

• Adults with PPCS demonstrate altered autonomic cardiovascular function compared to controls.
• Reduced HRV and impaired autonomic responses to postural changes are key findings.
• Physical activity and addressing deconditioning are potential therapeutic avenues for improving autonomic function post-mTBI.