title: Carotid artery longitudinal wall motion is associated with local blood velocity and left ventricular rotational, but not longitudinal, mechanics.
abstract: Recent studies have identified a predictable movement pattern of the common carotid artery wall in the longitudinal direction. While there is evidence that the magnitude of this carotid artery longitudinal wall motion (CALM) is sensitive to cardiovascular health status, little is known about the determinants of CALM The purpose of this integrative study was to evaluate the contribution of left ventricular (LV) cardiac motion and local blood velocity to CALM Simultaneous ultrasound measurements of CALM, common carotid artery mean blood velocity (MBV), and left ventricular motion were performed in ten young, healthy individuals (6 males; 22 ± 1 years). Peak anterograde CALM occurred at a similar time as peak MBV (18.57 ± 3.98% vs. 18.53 ± 2.81% cardiac cycle; t-test: P = 0.94; ICC: 0.79, P < 0.01). The timing of maximum retrograde CALM displacement was different, but related, to both peak apical (41.00 ± 7.81% vs. 35.33 ± 5.79% cardiac cycle; t-test: P < 0.01; ICC: 0.79, P < 0.01) and basal rotation (41.80 ± 6.12% vs. 37.30 ± 5.66% cardiac cycle; t-test: P < 0.01; ICC: 0.74, P < 0.01) with peak cardiac displacements preceding peak CALM displacements in both cases. The association between basal rotation and retrograde CALM was further supported by strong correlations between their peak magnitudes (r = -0.70, P = 0.02), whereas the magnitude of septal longitudinal displacement was not associated with peak CALM (r = 0.11, P = 0.77). These results suggest that the rotational mechanical movement of the LV base may be closely associated with longitudinal mechanics in the carotid artery. This finding may have important implications for interpreting the complex relationship between ventricular and vascular function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jason S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8601-323X
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Au
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ditor
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada macdonmj@mcmaster.ca.
authors.forename: Maureen J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Physiology & Health, Cardiff School of Sport, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Stöhr
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012399:Rotation; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Carotid artery longitudinal wall motion; left ventricular rotation; ultrasound