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Gender related differences in cerebral autoregulation in older healthy subjects

  • Brian M. Deegan
  • , Farzaneh A. Sorond
  • , Lewis A. Lipsitz
  • , Gearóid Ólaighin
  • , Jorge M. Serrador
  • University of Galway
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Harvard University
  • Institute for Aging Research
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperConference Paperpeer-review

42 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cerebral autoregulation is an intrinsic mechanism of the cerebrovasculature that maintains cerebral blood flow relatively constant over a wide range of blood pressures. Recent studies have shown sex differences in cerebral autoregulation in adolescents and young adults. We evaluated cerebral auturegulation in 419 (186 male) subjects over the age of 70 recruited as part of the MOBILIZE Boston study. CO2 reactivity, transfer function gain and autoregulatory index (ARI) during sit to stand tests were assessed. Female subjects had significantly higher CO2 reactivity (p < 0.001) and vasomotor range (p<0.001) as well as ARI indices (p<0.001) and lower transfer function gain in the autoregulatory band (p=0.001), implying better cerebral autoregulation, than male subjects. The mechanisms of sex based differences in cerebral autoregulation remain unclear, but the results of this study highlight the need for future work to better understand these underlying autoregulatory differences.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 31st Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
Subtitle of host publicationEngineering the Future of Biomedicine, EMBC 2009
PublisherIEEE Computer Society
Pages2859-2862
Number of pages4
ISBN (Print)9781424432967
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes
Event31st Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society: Engineering the Future of Biomedicine, EMBC 2009 - Minneapolis, MN, United States
Duration: 2 Sept 20096 Sept 2009

Publication series

NameProceedings of the 31st Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society: Engineering the Future of Biomedicine, EMBC 2009

Conference

Conference31st Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society: Engineering the Future of Biomedicine, EMBC 2009
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityMinneapolis, MN
Period2/09/096/09/09

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