The effects of exercise training in the cold on cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular function in young healthy individuals

Chronic sleep fragmentation impairs brain interstitial clearance in young wildtype mice

Accumulating evidence shows that most chronic neurological diseases have a link with sleep disturbances, and that patients with chronically poor sleep undergo an accelerated cognitive decline. Indeed, a single-night of sleep deprivation may increase metabolic waste levels in cerebrospinal fluid. However, it remains unknown how chronic sleep disturbances in isolation from an underlying neurological disease may affect the glymphatic system. Clearance of brain interstitial waste by the glymphatic system occurs primarily during sleep, driven by multiple oscillators including arterial pulsatility, and vasomotion. Herein, we induced sleep fragmentation in young wildtype mice and assessed the effects on glymphatic activity and cognitive functions. Chronic sleep fragmentation reduced glymphatic function and impaired cognitive functions in healthy mice. A mechanistic analysis showed that the chronic sleep fragmentation suppressed slow vasomotion, without altering cardiac-driven pulsations. Taken together, results of this study document that chronic sleep fragmentation suppresses brain metabolite clearance and impairs cognition, even in the absence of disease.

Effects of Physical Exercise Training on Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements: A Systematic Review of Human Intervention Studies

The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effects of physical exercise training on cerebral blood flow (CBF), which is a physiological marker of cerebrovascular function. Relationships between training-induced effects on CBF with changes in cognitive performance were also discussed. A systematic search was performed up to July 2022. Forty-five intervention studies with experimental, quasi-experimental, or pre-post designs were included. Sixteen studies (median duration: 14 weeks) investigated effects of physical exercise training on CBF markers using magnetic resonance imaging, 20 studies (median duration: 14 weeks) used transcranial Doppler ultrasound, and eight studies (median duration: 8 weeks) used near-infrared spectroscopy. Studies using magnetic resonance imaging observed consistent increases in CBF in the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus, but not in whole-brain CBF. Effects on resting CBF-measured with transcranial Doppler ultrasound and near-infrared spectroscopy-were variable, while middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity increased in some studies following exercise or hypercapnic stimuli. Interestingly, concomitant changes in physical fitness and regional CBF were observed, while a relation between training-induced effects on CBF and cognitive performance was evident. In conclusion, exercise training improved cerebrovascular function because regional CBF was changed. Studies are however still needed to establish whether exercise-induced improvements in CBF are sustained over longer periods of time and underlie the observed beneficial effects on cognitive performance.

Influence of high-intensity interval training to exhaustion on the directional sensitivity of the cerebral pressure-flow relationship in young endurance-trained men

We previously reported subtle dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) alterations following 6 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to exhaustion using transfer function analysis (TFA) on forced mean arterial pressure (MAP) oscillations in young endurance-trained men. However, accumulating evidence suggests the cerebrovasculature better buffers cerebral blood flow changes when MAP acutely increases compared to when MAP acutely decreases. Whether HIIT affects the directional sensitivity of the cerebral pressure-flow relationship in these athletes is unknown. In 18 endurance-trained men (age: 27 ± 6 years, VO2 max: 55.5 ± 4.7 ml·kg-1 ·min-1 ), we evaluated the impact of 6 weeks of HIIT to exhaustion on dCA directionality using induced MAP oscillations during 5-min 0.05 and 0.10 Hz repeated squat-stands. We calculated time-adjusted changes in middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCAv) per change in MAP (ΔMCAvT /ΔMAPT ) for each squat transition. Then, we compared averaged ΔMCAvT /ΔMAPT during MAP increases and decreases. Before HIIT, ΔMCAvT /ΔMAPT was comparable between MAP increases and decreases during 0.05 Hz repeated squat-stands (p = 0.518). During 0.10 Hz repeated squat-stands, ΔMCAvT /ΔMAPT was lower during MAP increases versus decreases (0.87 ± 0.17 vs. 0.99 ± 0.23 cm·s-1 ·mmHg-1 , p = 0.030). Following HIIT, ΔMCAvT /ΔMAPT was superior during MAP increases over decreases during 0.05 Hz repeated squat-stands (0.97 ± 0.38 vs. 0.77 ± 0.35 cm·s-1 ·mmHg-1 , p = 0.002). During 0.10 Hz repeated squat-stands, dCA directional sensitivity disappeared (p = 0.359). These results suggest the potential for HIIT to influence the directional sensitivity of the cerebral pressure-flow relationship in young endurance-trained men.

What are the effects of acute exercise and exercise training on cerebrovascular hemodynamics following stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Limited data exist regarding the effects of acute exercise and exercise training on cerebrovascular hemodynamic variables post-stroke.

PURPOSE

This systematic review and meta-analysis 1) examined the effects of acute exercise and exercise training on cerebrovascular hemodynamic variables reported in the stroke exercise literature; and 2) synthesized the peak middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) achieved during an acute bout of moderate-intensity exercise in individuals post-stroke.

METHODS

Six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AMED) were searched from inception to December 1^st 2021, for studies that examined the effect of acute exercise or exercise training on cerebrovascular hemodynamics in adults post-stroke. Two reviewers conducted title and abstract screening, full-text evaluation, data extraction, and quality appraisal. Random effects models were used in meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Nine studies, including 4 acute exercise (n=61) and 5 exercise training studies (n=193), were included. Meta-analyses were not statistically feasible for several cerebrovascular hemodynamic variables. Descriptive analysis reveals that exercise training may increase cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide among individuals post-stroke. Meta-analysis of three acute exercise studies revealed no significant changes in MCAv during acute moderate intensity exercise (n=48 participants, mean difference = 5.2 cm/s, 95% CI [-0.6, 11.0], P=0.08) compared to resting MCAv values.

CONCLUSION

This review suggests that individuals post-stroke may have attenuated cerebrovascular hemodynamics as measured by the MCAv during acute moderate-intensity exercise. Higher quality research utilizing agreed upon hemodynamic variables are needed to synthesize the effects of exercise training on cerebrovascular hemodynamics post-stroke.