Cerebral arterial venous blood flow dynamics under the influence of free and deep breathing

Motivation: The hydrodynamic characteristics of arterial venous cerebral blood flow (AVCBF) in different breathing patterns remain insufficiently understood. Goal(s): Quantifying the effects of free and deep breathing on multiple parameters of CBF using real-time phase contrast MRI. Approach: We applied RT-PC on 14 healthy volunteers to continuously quantify AVCBF dynamics in the main cerebral vessels during free and deep breathing. A time-domain analysis investigated the influence of breathing change on the AVCBF parameters: mean flow, stroke volume, cardiac period. Results: Deep-breathing decreased global AVCBF dynamics. Mean flows, stroke volumes and cardiac periods decreased but their percentage change between inspiratory and expiratory periods increased. Impact: This study quantified the effects of free- and deep-breathing on cerebral blood flow dynamics. It should contribute to a better understanding of cerebral hemodynamics and its relation with breathing, providing a valuable reference for clinical applications and physiological studies.