Higher cardiovascular fitness (VO2 peak) was associated with lower cerebrovascular reactivity and lower cerebral blood flow throughout large areas of the cerebral cortex in healthy older adults.
Observational (n=50)
Does higher cardiovascular fitness affect cerebrovascular reactivity, cerebral blood flow, and grey matter volume in healthy older adults?
Aging is accompanied by vascular and structural changes in the brain, which include decreased grey matter volume (GMV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). Enhanced fitness in aging has been related to preservation of GMV and CBF, and in some cases CVR, although there are contradictory relationships reported between CVR and fitness. To gain a better understanding of the complex interplay between fitness and GMV, CBF and CVR, the present study assessed these factors concurrently. Data from 50 participants, aged 55 to 72, were used to derive GMV, CBF, CVR and VO 2 peak. Results revealed that lower CVR was associated with higher VO 2 peak throughout large areas of the cerebral cortex. Within these regions lower fitness was associated with higher CBF and a faster hemodynamic response to hypercapnia. Overall, our results indicate that the relationships between age, fitness, cerebral health and cerebral hemodynamics are complex, likely involving changes in chemosensitivity and autoregulation in addition to changes in arterial stiffness. Future studies should collect other physiological outcomes in parallel with quantitative imaging, such as measures of chemosensitivity and autoregulation, to further understand the intricate effects of fitness on the aging brain, and how this may bias quantitative measures of cerebral health.
Intzandt et al. (Thu,) conducted a observational in Healthy older adults (n=50). Cardiovascular fitness (VO2 peak) vs. Lower fitness was evaluated on Association between VO2 peak and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and grey matter volume (GMV). Higher cardiovascular fitness (VO2 peak) was associated with lower cerebrovascular reactivity and lower cerebral blood flow throughout large areas of the cerebral cortex in healthy older adults.