Frontiers in Neurology (Sep 2021)

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy-Derived Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation in Experimental Human Endotoxemia—An Exploratory Study

  • Nick Eleveld,
  • Cornelia W. E. Hoedemaekers,
  • C. Ruud van Kaam,
  • Guus P. Leijte,
  • Guus P. Leijte,
  • Judith M. D. van den Brule,
  • Peter Pickkers,
  • Peter Pickkers,
  • Marcel J. H. Aries,
  • Natasha M. Maurits,
  • Jan Willem J. Elting

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2021.695705
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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Cerebral perfusion may be altered in sepsis patients. However, there are conflicting findings on cerebral autoregulation (CA) in healthy participants undergoing the experimental endotoxemia protocol, a proxy for systemic inflammation in sepsis. In the current study, a newly developed near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based CA index is investigated in an endotoxemia study population, together with an index of focal cerebral oxygenation.Methods: Continuous-wave NIRS data were obtained from 11 healthy participants receiving a continuous infusion of bacterial endotoxin for 3 h (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02922673) under extensive physiological monitoring. Oxygenated–deoxygenated hemoglobin phase differences in the (very)low frequency (VLF/LF) bands and the Tissue Saturation Index (TSI) were calculated at baseline, during systemic inflammation, and at the end of the experiment 7 h after the initiation of endotoxin administration.Results: The median (inter-quartile range) LF phase difference was 16.2° (3.0–52.6°) at baseline and decreased to 3.9° (2.0–8.8°) at systemic inflammation (p = 0.03). The LF phase difference increased from systemic inflammation to 27.6° (12.7–67.5°) at the end of the experiment (p = 0.005). No significant changes in VLF phase difference were observed. The TSI (mean ± SD) increased from 63.7 ± 3.4% at baseline to 66.5 ± 2.8% during systemic inflammation (p = 0.03) and remained higher at the end of the experiment (67.1 ± 4.2%, p = 0.04). Further analysis did not reveal a major influence of changes in several covariates such as blood pressure, heart rate, PaCO2, and temperature, although some degree of interaction could not be excluded.Discussion: A reversible decrease in NIRS-derived cerebral autoregulation phase difference was seen after endotoxin infusion, with a small, sustained increase in TSI. These findings suggest that endotoxin administration in healthy participants reversibly impairs CA, accompanied by sustained microvascular vasodilation.

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