title: Interactions between systemic hemodynamics and cerebral blood flow during attentional processing.
abstract: The study explored interactions between systemic hemodynamics and cerebral blood flow during attentional processing. Using transcranial Doppler sonography, blood flow velocities in the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) of both hemispheres were recorded while 50 subjects performed a cued reaction time task. Finger arterial pressure and heart rate were also continuously monitored. Doppler sonography revealed a right dominant blood flow response. The extent of the increase measured in second two of the interstimulus interval showed a clear positive association with reaction speed. Task-related changes in blood pressure and heart rate proved predictive of changes in MCA flow velocities in limited time windows of the response. Besides an association between cerebral blood flow and attentional performance, the results suggest a marked impact of systemic hemodynamics on the blood flow response. All observed interactions are highly dynamic in time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany. stefan.duschek@psy.lmu.de
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duschek
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heiss
authors.forename: Marco F H
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Natalie S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schuepbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*