Cerebral autoregulation is preserved in multiple sclerosis patients

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2017

Authors

Ferreira, D (Author) Other; Pedro Castro (Author) FMUP; Videira, G (Author) Other; Filipe, JP (Author) Other; Santos, R (Author) Other; Sa, MJ (Author) Other; Elsa Azevedo (Author) FMUP; Pedro Abreu (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Journal of the Neurological Sciences

Vol. 381

Pages: 298-304

ISSN: 0022-510X

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 1 Citation

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00N-0Q3

DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.09.009

Abstract (EN): Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease that may also be associated with vascular dysfunction. One master component of vascular regulation is cerebral autoregulation (CA). We aimed to investigate the integrity of CA in MS patients and study its relationship with autonomic dysfunction (AD), magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI) lesion load and hemodynamic parameters. We enrolled 20 relapsing-remitting MS and 20 healthy subjects. CA was assessed by transfer function analysis parameters (coherence, gain and phase), as obtained in the very low, low and high-frequency domains (VLF, LF, HF, respectively). We evaluated the autonomic parameters heart rate variability and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). There were no significant differences in CA parameters between MS and controls (p > 0.05). Lesion load was not correlated with any CA parameter. LF gain was positively correlated with BRS in both groups (MS: p = 0.017; controls: p = 0.025). Brainstem lesion load in MS was associated with higher systolic blood pressure (SBP; p = 0.009). Our findings suggest that CA is preserved in our MS cohort. On the other hand, AD in MS patients with brainstem lesions could contribute to the increase of supine SBP. Whether this systemic deregulation could contribute to disease burden remains to be investigated.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7