Lower neurovascular coupling response despite higher cerebral blood flow at rest in apolipoprotein ɛ4 positive adults.

Cerebral blood flow at rest declines with age. However, age-related changes in functional measures of cerebrovascular health including cerebrovascular reactivity and neurovascular coupling are not well understood. Additionally, the effect of apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4, a strong genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, on cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular function remains unclear.

The independent and combined effects of aerobic exercise intensity and dose differentially increase post-exercise cerebral shear stress and blood flow.

This research examined the impact of aerobic exercise intensity and dose on acute post-exercise cerebral shear stress and blood flow. Fourteen young adults (27 ± 5 years of age, eight females) completed a maximal oxygen uptake ( ) treadmill test followed by three randomized study visits: treadmill exercise at 30% of for 30 min, 70% of for 30 min and 70% of for a duration that resulted in caloric expenditure equal to that in the 30% visit (EqEE). A venous blood draw and internal carotid artery (ICA) ultrasound were collected before and immediately following exercise.

Impact of arterial stiffness on cerebrovascular function: a review of evidence from humans and preclincal models.

With advancing age, the cerebral vasculature becomes dysfunctional, and this dysfunction is associated with cognitive decline. However, the initiating cause of these age-related cerebrovascular impairments remains incompletely understood. A characteristic feature of the aging vasculature is the increase in stiffness of the large elastic arteries.

Cerebral hemodynamics comparison using transcranial doppler ultrasound and 4D flow MRI.

Age-related changes in cerebral hemodynamics are controversial and discrepancies may be due to experimental techniques. As such, the purpose of this study was to compare cerebral hemodynamics measurements of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) between transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) and four-dimensional flow MRI (4D flow MRI). Twenty young (25 ± 3 years) and 19 older (62 ± 6 years) participants underwent two randomized study visits to evaluate hemodynamics at baseline (normocapnia) and in response to stepped hypercapnia (4% CO, and 6% CO) using TCD and 4D flow MRI.

Association between serum prostacyclin and cerebrovascular reactivity in healthy young and older adults.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? What is the relationship between prostacyclin and cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia before and after administration of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, in healthy young and older adults? What is the main finding and importance? Serum prostacyclin was not related to cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia before or after administration of indomethacin. However, in older adults, serum prostacyclin was related to the magnitude of change in cerebrovascular reactivity from before to after indomethacin administration. This suggests that older adults with higher serum prostacyclin may rely more on cyclooxygenase products to mediate cerebrovascular reactivity.

Proceedings from the Albert Charitable Trust Inaugural Workshop on 'Understanding the Acute Effects of Exercise on the Brain'.

An inaugural workshop supported by "The Leo and Anne Albert Charitable Trust," was held October 4-7, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona, to focus on the effects of exercise on the brain and to discuss how physical activity may prevent or delay the onset of aging-related neurodegenerative conditions. The Scientific Program Committee (led by Dr. Jeff Burns) assembled translational, clinical, and basic scientists who research various aspects of the effects of exercise on the body and brain, with the overall goal of gaining a better understanding as to how to delay or prevent neurodegenerative diseases.

Age at natural menopause impacts cerebrovascular reactivity and brain structure.

Menopause is associated with adverse changes in vascular health coinciding with an increased risk of stroke and vascular cognitive impairment. However, there is significant variation in the age at menopause. The present study examined how the age at natural menopause impacts cerebrovascular reactivity and structural biomarkers of brain aging.

The Utility of High Intensity Interval Training to Improve Cognitive Aging in Heart Disease Patients.

Adults with cardiovascular disease and heart failure are at higher risk of cognitive decline. Cerebral hypoperfusion appears to be a significant contributor, which can result from vascular dysfunction and impairment of cerebral blood flow regulation. In contrast, higher cardiorespiratory fitness shows protection against brain atrophy, reductions in cerebral blood flow, and cognitive decline.

Exercise increases arterial stiffness independent of blood pressure in older Veterans.

Background: Exercise-induced changes in arterial function could contribute to a hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) in older individuals. We performed the present analysis to define the acute arterial stiffness response to exercise in ambulatory older adults.

Methods: Thirty-nine Veterans (>60 years old), without known cardiovascular disease, participated in this study, including 19 Veterans who were hypertensive (70.

The relationship between muscle sympathetic nerve activity and systemic hemodynamics is altered in women with uterine fibroids.

Women with uterine fibroids (UF), benign tumors of the myometrium, have a higher prevalence of hypertension than women without UF. The cause for this relationship is unclear. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is a regulator of arterial blood pressure, and it is possible that variations in MSNA predispose women with UF to develop hypertension.

Sympathoexcitatory Responses to Isometric Handgrip Exercise Are Associated With White Matter Hyperintensities in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

Vascular dysfunction may occur prior to declines in cognitive function and accumulation of neuropathology. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) develop due to cerebral ischemia and elevated blood pressure in midlife. The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular responses to sympathoexcitatory stimuli and WMH burden in cognitively unimpaired middle-aged and older adults.

Sex-specific effects of cardiorespiratory fitness on age-related differences in cerebral hemodynamics.

There is a positive association between cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive health, but the interaction between cardiorespiratory fitness and aging on cerebral hemodynamics is unclear. These potential interactions are further influenced by sex differences. The purpose of this study was to determine the sex-specific relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness, age, and cerebral hemodynamics in humans.

The Impact of Aging on the Association Between Aortic Stiffness and Cerebral Pulsatility Index.

The central arteries dampen the pulsatile forces from myocardial contraction, limiting the pulsatility that reaches the cerebral vasculature, although there are limited data on this relationship with aging in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between aortic stiffness and cerebral artery pulsatility index in young and older adults. We hypothesized that cerebral pulsatility index would be associated with aortic stiffness in older adults, but not in young adults.

Risk factors for intradialytic decline in cerebral perfusion and impaired cerebral autoregulation in adults on hemodialysis.

Introduction: Hemodialysis (HD) patients have significant burden of cerebral ischemic pathology noted on brain imaging. These ischemic type lesions maybe due to cerebral hypoperfusion that may be occurring during blood pressure (BP) fluctuations commonly noted during HD sessions. We evaluated changes in cerebral perfusion and measured an index of cerebral autoregulation (CA index) during HD to identify potential risk factors for intradialytic decline in cerebral perfusion and impaired cerebral autoregulation.

Vertebral artery hypoplasia influences age-related differences in blood flow of the large intracranial arteries.

Our purpose was to compare cerebral blood flow in the large intracranial vessels between healthy adults with (VAH+) and without (No VAH) vertebral artery hypoplasia. We also evaluated age-related differences in regional blood flow through the large cerebral arteries. Healthy young (n = 20; age = 25 ± 3 years) and older adults (n = 19; age = 61 ± 5 years) underwent 4D flow MRI scans to evaluate blood flow in the internal carotid arteries (ICA) and basilar artery (BA).

Impact of age and cyclooxygenase inhibition on the hemodynamic response to acute cognitive challenges.

Structural and functional changes in the cerebral vasculature occur with advancing age, which may lead to impaired neurovascular coupling (NVC) and cognitive decline. Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition abolishes age-related differences in cerebrovascular reactivity, but it is unclear if COX inhibition impacts NVC. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of aging on NVC before and after COX inhibition.

Exercise, Arterial Stiffness, and Cerebral Vascular Function: Potential Impact on Brain Health.

Unlabelled: Exercise is associated with higher cognitive function and is a promising intervention to reduce the risk of dementia. With advancing age, there are changes in the vasculature that have important clinical implications for brain health and cognition. Primary aging and vascular risk factors are associated with increases in arterial stiffness and pulse pressure, and reductions in peripheral vascular function.

Influence of habitual aerobic and resistance exercise on cerebrovascular reactivity in healthy young adults.

Diminished cerebrovascular function is associated with reduced cognitive ability. Habitual exercise may maintain or improve cerebrovascular function; however, limited information exists regarding the optimal exercise prescription for cerebrovascular health. Although aerobic exercise is associated with improved systemic vascular function, the influence of resistance exercise on vascular health is unclear.

Integrative cardiovascular control in women: Regulation of blood pressure, body temperature, and cerebrovascular responsiveness.

Over the past several decades, it has become increasingly clear that women have distinct cardiovascular profiles compared to men. In this review, our goal is to provide an overview of the literature regarding the influences of female sex and reproductive hormones (primarily estradiol) on mechanisms of cardiovascular control relevant to regulation of blood pressure, body temperature, and cerebral blood flow. Young women tend to have lower resting blood pressure compared with men.

Aortic Hemodynamics and Cognitive Performance in Postmenopausal Women: Impact of Pregnancy History.

Background: Studies demonstrate an association between aortic hemodynamics and cognitive function. The impact of pregnancy history on this association is unknown.

Methods: Postmenopausal women (age 59 ± 5 years; years since last pregnancy 35 ± 3) with either a history of preeclampsia (PE; n = 34) or a history of a normotensive pregnancy (NP; n = 30) underwent cognitive testing: Letter-Number Sequencing, Digit Span, Trail Making Test, and letter and category fluency.

Greater Influence of Aerobic Fitness on Autonomic Support of Blood Pressure in Young Women Than in Older Women.

Aging increases autonomic support of blood pressure; however, the impact of aerobic fitness on autonomic support of blood pressure has not been addressed in women. As such, we hypothesized that aerobic fitness would be related to the change in blood pressure during ganglionic blockade such that women with greater aerobic fitness would have a blunted fall in blood pressure during ganglionic blockade due to increased vagal tone. Thirteen young premenopausal and 13 older postmenopausal women completed a screening visit where aerobic fitness (maximal oxygen consumption, VO) was measured.

Aging-Related and Gender Specific Albumin Misfolding in Alzheimer's Disease.

Aging-related protein misfolding and aggregation may play critical roles in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. In the brain, extracellular aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) is closely related to the death of neurons in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Albumin-Aβ binding is important in preventing Aβ fibril aggregation.