title: Cerebral Blood Flow Responses to Autonomic Dysreflexia in Humans with Spinal Cord Injury.
abstract: Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a life-threatening episode of transient hypertension affecting up to 90% of those with high-level spinal cord injury (SCI), and can lead to cerebral hemorrhage. Due to the nature of this medical emergency, cerebral blood flow (CBF) has not been recorded during AD. Beat-by-beat blood pressure (BP) and CBF velocity of the middle cerebral artery were measured during spontaneous AD episodes in four motor complete cervical SCI patients. Mean arterial BP increased during AD (66 ± 11 vs. 83 ± 10 mm Hg; p = 0.004), whereas CBF (76 ± 4 vs. 74 ± 4 cm · sec(-1)) and end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PETCO2) (35 ± 1 vs. 34 ± 3 mm Hg) were maintained. These preliminary data indicate that the brain may effectively buffer moderate episodes of AD.
authors.affiliation: 1 Physical Activity Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|2 Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|3 International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|4 Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|5 GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre , Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Aaron A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: 6 School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development, University of British Columbia , Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Philip N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Ainslie
authors.affiliation: 1 Physical Activity Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Unit, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|2 Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|3 International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|4 Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|5 GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre , Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Darren E R
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Warburton
authors.affiliation: 3 International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|4 Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .|5 GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre , Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Andrei V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Krassioukov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020211:Autonomic Dysreflexia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: autonomic dysfunction; cerebrovascular; paraplegia; tetraplegia