title: Assessment of carotid elasticity during exercise: a reproducibility study.
abstract: The study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of carotid elasticity during exercise. Eighteen healthy volunteers (nine males, age 34 ± 3 years, BMI 22 ± 6 kg/m(2)) underwent maximal exercise testing on a graded semi-supine cycle ergometer in two different sessions 3 days apart. Ultrasound B-mode image sequences of the right common carotid were acquired at different steps and analyzed by an automatic system; pressures were estimated by tonometry. Compliance (CC) and distensibility (DC) were significantly decreased at exercise peak and in the first recovery minute (CC from 1.6 ± 0.8 to 1 ± 0.6 mm^(2)/KPa, DC from 56.2 ± 25.3 to 34.5 ± 20 10^(-3)/KPa, p < 0.05). For the whole examination, intraclass coefficient was 0.780 for CC and 0.694 for DC. Mean coefficient of variation was maximum at peak exercise (CC = 19 ± 6%, DC = 24 ± 15%), but at first minute of recovery it was comparable to resting values (CC = 12 ± 9%, DC = 12 ± 11%). When designing future studies, acquisitions during first recovery minute might be preferred to peak measures.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy. betta@ifc.cnr.it
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Anca Irina
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Corciu
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Faita
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gemignani
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ghiadoni
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Picano
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sicari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology