title: Cerebral hemodynamics in normal aging: central artery stiffness, wave reflection, and pressure pulsatility.
abstract: Blood ejected from the left ventricle perfuses the brain via central elastic arteries, which stiffen with advancing age and may elevate the risk of end-organ damage. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of central arterial aging on cerebral hemodynamics. Eighty-three healthy participants aged 22 to 80 years underwent the measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and CBF velocity (CBFV) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transcranial Doppler, respectively. The CBF pulsatility was determined by the relative amplitude of CBFV to the mean value (CBFV%). Central arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity), wave reflection (carotid augmentation index), and pressure were measured using applanation tonometry. Total volume of white-matter hyperintensity (WMH) was quantified from MR images. Total CBF decreased with age while systolic and pulsatile CBFV% increased and diastolic CBFV% decreased. Women showed greater total CBF and lower cerebrovascular resistance than men. Diastolic CBFV% was lower in women than in men. Age- and sex-related differences in CBF pulsatility were independently associated with carotid pulse pressure and arterial wave reflection. In older participants, higher pulsatility of CBF was associated with the greater total volume of WMH. These findings indicate that central arterial aging has an important role in age-related differences in cerebral hemodynamics.
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA [2] Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tarumi
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA [2] Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayaz Khan
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA [2] Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA [2] Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA [2] Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tinajero
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA [2] Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D059289:Vascular Stiffness