Carotid sinus baroafferent signals contribute to cerebral blood flow regulation during acute hypotension in young males: A randomized crossover study

Abstract

Abstract Cerebral autoregulation is an important factor in prevention of cerebral ischemic events. We tested a traditional but unproven hypothesis that carotid sinus baroafferent signals contribute to dynamic cerebral autoregulation. Middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCA Vmean) responses to thigh‐cuff deflation‐induced acute hypotension were compared between conditions using neck suction soon after cuff deflation, without or with a cushion wrapped around the upper neck, in nine healthy males (aged 25 ± 5 years). Neck suction was applied close to the hypotension. The MCA Vmean response was expected to differ between conditions because the cushion was presumed to prevent the carotid sinus distension by neck suction. The cushion hindered bradycardia and depressor responses during sole neck suction. Thigh‐cuff deflation decreased mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and MCA Vmean (Ps < 0.05) with an almost unchanged respiratory rate under both conditions. However, in the neck suction + cushion condition, subsequent MCA Vmean restoration was faster and greater (Ps ≤ 0.0131), despite similar changes in MAP in both conditions. Thus, carotid sinus baroafferent signals would accelerate dynamic cerebral autoregulation during rapid hypotension in healthy young males. Elucidating the mechanism underlying cerebral neural autoregulation could provide a new target for preventing cerebral ischemic events.

Keywords

• cerebral autoregulation
• middle cerebral artery blood velocity
• neck suction
• neural regulation