The Effect of Stroke on Middle Cerebral Artery Blood Flow Velocity Dynamics During Exercise

Background and Purpose: Previous work demonstrates that older adults have a lower response in the middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv) to an acute bout of moderate-intensity exercise when compared with young adults. However, no information exists regarding MCAv response to exercise after stroke. We tested whether MCAv response to an acute bout of moderate-intensity exercise differed between participants 3 months after stroke and an age- and sex-matched control group of older adults (CON). A secondary objective was to compare MCAv response between the stroke- and non-stroke-affected MCAv. Methods: Using transcranial Doppler ultrasound, we recorded MCAv during a 90-second baseline (BL) followed by a 6-minute moderate-intensity exercise bout using a recumbent stepper. Heart rate (HR), end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2), and beat-to-beat mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were additional variables of interest. The MCAv response measures included BL, peak response amplitude (Amp), time delay (TD), and time constant (τ). Results: The Amp was significantly lower in the stroke-affected MCAv compared with CON (P
Source: Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy - Category: Physiotherapy Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research